No Place like Home
by Mrs Pepperpot
Summary: Continuing from the ending of Series 2 Episode 8 my take on how series 3 might pan out, will contain 'Galex' This is my first ever fanfic so please be gentle people! Epilogue now posted & the story is complete.
1. Chapter 1

No Place Like Home

"BOLLY, BOL'S"

Gene's increasingly desperate cries followed her as she kept running…"No, no I'm home, I am home" Alex kept repeating to herself, like Dorothy another fugitive in a strange land telling herself "There's no place like home" She had to get away from his voice, get back to Molly…where was Molly? She said she would wait outside…

"MOLLY, MOL'S"

Alex stopped in her tracks and headed back towards her room, frantically looking and calling, but there was no reply. Molly was gone and there were no Doctors or nurses, the whole place was strangely quiet and empty. A sudden sharp pain in Alex's side left her gasping for breath and clutching at the doorframe for support, she looked down in horror as a bloodstain began to spread from the source of the pain turning her white hospital gown red. Alex staggered into the room and back to her bed, the T.V was now silent and the screen black, she slumped down her mind a jumble of all that had just happened and all that had unfolded a world away. The dripping of the tap on the small hand wash basin opposite the bed snapped Alex's mind back to her present predicament, looking over at the hand basin she noticed her reflection in the mirror above it. Instinctively her hand went up to the bandage covering her head and she slowly and carefully pulled it back to reveal what she had been half expecting and half dreading…there was no bullet wound there.

"But I'm home" Alex said in a shaky voice that held no conviction, she picked up Molly's card again and pressed it to her breast as the T.V screen began to flicker to life once more…

Gene was still there but he wasn't shouting anymore, he was looking off to the side listening, maybe the nurses were returning, his eyes were wide and wild and he had an air of mania about him, then he focused his attention back to her and began in a quiet strained voice "Alex I've got to go now, but I just wanted to say…" he paused drawing breath and bowing his head, "Sorry…I don't just mean for putting you in here, but for everything, I still haven't got a bloody clue what the hell all that stuff was about that you said before, but I never thought it would come to this" he stopped and rubbed at his face as if desperately trying to hold back the tide of emotion that threatened to break through and shatter what was left of his resolve.

Alex couldn't help but be moved by the scene in front of her, despite all that had been said and done, she reached out to Gene on the T.V screen trying somehow to comfort him and let him know he wasn't alone. In that moment Alex felt the room begin to spin and a crescendo of voices and beeps made her cover her ears as the pain in her side began to throb again, her eyes started to close as she felt herself falling back and everything faded to black.

Gene was preparing to leave Alex's hospital bedside but a thought that had been dancing around his mind wouldn't go away, and so mainly because he feared he would never get the chance again, he decided to act on it and bent down to lightly brush Alex's lips with his own. He closed his eyes savouring the feel of her soft skin against his rough cheek then as he slowly pulled away his eyes opening, he snapped back in shock as he found himself looking into a pair of confused and sad hazel eyes…

They were both unable to form any words, Alex knew she never really made it home and that was killing her more than any bullet would ever do and Gene was lost in confusion, relieved that she was awake but without any clue as to how they could ever put the broken pieces back together again.

Both were saved from the awkward uneasy silence by the sound of raised voices and commotion in the corridor outside. The nurses were calling for the Doctor as a gruff voice cut in…

"DCI Bennett and this is DI Lucas we're here to find DCI Hunt we have reason to believe he might try and get to DI Drake here in the hospital"

The Doctor entered the room first gasping in shock firstly at the sight of Gene standing by the bedside then at Alex herself who still had tears streaming down her face.

"DI Drake!...glad to see you're back with us" he barely got the words out before DCI Bennett, a burly man in his forties and DI Lucas a tall scrawny man in his early thirties, barged in past him and catching sight of Gene rounded on him.

"DCI Hunt!…DI Drake now you are awake perhaps you can tell us how you ended up being shot by your DCI, especially as I understand it, you were suspended from duty at the time "

Alex struggled to find her voice "Yes it's true DCI Hunt had suspended me from duty the evening before" she managed in a quiet tone.

DCI Bennett who looked like he had a lower tolerance threshold than even the mighty Gene Hunt himself, started in a sharper tone at Alex "We have it on good authority that you and DCI Hunt argued and that he made a threat on your life the evening before he shot you"

"Well yes we argued but if you are implying that DCI Hunt meant to shoot me then that isn't what happened" Alex looked over at Gene but his head was bowed he didn't look up to meet her gaze.

"I was being held at gunpoint by Jenette Rivens, the sister of Tiny Tim who we had arrested earlier in connection with our enquiries into Operation Rose, DCI Hunt was just trying to protect me but I thought I could get free, during the struggle Jenette fired her weapon and DCI Hunt returned fire…turns out he isn't as good a shot as he likes to think" Alex tried to force a weak smile, but Gene still couldn't look in her direction.

DCI Bennett seemed satisfied by her explanation and as it wasn't his main concern in seeking out DCI Hunt anyway, he turned the conversation to that aim.

"Well that's the end of that then! Now regarding Operation Rose we will be needing all the evidence that you've gathered so far, we've already arranged for Carnegie and the rest of 'em to be transferred"

Gene stirred to life "Hang on a bloody minute…"

But he was cut off by Bennett "The Commissioner has appointed us to clear up this mess, he wants the matter dealt with swiftly the Met can't afford to be dragged through the mud in another scandal, the public's confidence in us is already hanging by a thread"

Gene was growing redder and angrier "My team put their ruddy lives on the line to get those collars, and for what another bloody cover-up, more lies and papering over the cracks"

Bennett was as robust in his response "I appreciate what you and your team have done, and the Commissioner won't forget your contributions but this is the way it's going to be, the guilty will be dealt with and the corruption will be rooted out once and for all"

Gene wasn't satisfied "Carnegie and the rest of the rotten bunch will get pensioned off will they? If they promise to keep schtum for the rest of their days about what a load of bent bastards they really are!"

Bennett was eager to get on with his job "DCI Hunt I know how this must seem to you, after Super-Intendent Mackintosh and everything else, but sometimes we have to do things for the greater good…see the bigger picture. Now if we could get back to the station and get all the paperwork sorted. DI Drake may I wish you a speedy recovery" he said with a cursory nod in Alex's direction"

Alex had remained quiet mainly because she was still reeling from all that had happened, and now to hear DCI Bennett's declarations it appeared that her involvement in Operation Rose was at an end, Martin Summers was dead but the nightmare she thought was far from over.

DCI Bennett and DI Lucas who had remained silent with a grim expression throughout, swept out of the room informing Gene that they would meet him at the station. Gene stood looking battered and defeated he risked a sideways glance at Alex who he thought looked so fragile she might shatter into a thousand pieces before his very eyes, he wanted to reach out to her but if he had felt adrift before he felt positively lost at sea now. Alex was the first to break the silence…

"I know you can't believe it now, but things will get better, the Met will be cleaned up we have to look forward"

"What to the FUTURE" Gene said bitterly emphasizing the last word, recalling Alex's proffered explanation about who she really was.

"Gene" she could feel the tears filling her eyes again.

Seeing the tears in her eyes Gene couldn't help but be affected as the guilt jabbed at him again, she wouldn't be in here if it wasn't for him, if he hadn't let Jenette get between them.

"Sorry Bols…I'd better get back to the station, don't want Bennett and his mob ransacking the place"

Seeing a tear zig-zagging it's way down Alex's face Gene reached out instinctively to brush it away, Alex covered Gene's hand with her own and held it to her face.

"Will you come back later…please" she asked desperately needing him to be close to her despite the awkwardness and the uncertainty.

Gene slowly nodded "Might have company though, Ray, Chris and Shaz will want to see ya…you should have seen Ray fretting for the ambulance to hurry up after….well…"

Alex's mind drifted back to Gene's kiss, she felt sure it was the connection between them that had pulled her back to him, she wanted to feel it again.

"Gene" she began hesitantly feeling her confidence slip away…"could I…I mean would you…please kiss me again before you go" she felt her face burning red but she really felt that it would help them both to feel that connection that had become so important to them.

Gene was shaken by Alex's request, not that he didn't want to kiss her again but he was shocked that she wanted him too, he took in her pleading eyes and the flush on her cheeks and knew he would do anything she asked of him. He slowly bent down and leaned forward to gently brush Alex's lips with his own, lingering on the feeling of her soft lips against his as a sensation of warmth and love flowed through him, Alex felt it too it did her more good than any medicine could ever do and as Gene gently pulled back and their eyes met, they both felt that the healing had begun.


	2. Chapter 2

No Place like Home - Chapter 2 (with references to Martin Summers diary on the BBC website and the flat Alex found in S2 Ep7 and the film High Noon starring Gary Cooper as Sheriff William Kane)

I should also point out I don't own a sausage, just love 'em all to bits!

*******************************************************

Gene had left the hospital feeling just as confused as before only now, maybe, he could glimpse a light at the end of the tunnel . . . or was that an oncoming train!

He wanted to believe that Alex didn't hate him, she'd asked him to kiss her for God's sake, but after the things she had said on that tape, and the things she had said in his office, there were still more questions than answers.

Arriving back at the station to the suspicious and wary glances of his team Gene, spying DCI Bennett and DI Lucas waiting in his office, took the opportunity to set the record straight

"Alright. Listen up you lot. DI Drake has woken up and put me in the clear. The shooting was an accident. Case closed."

Some of the tension drained away as Ray spoke. "Guv there's a DCI Bennett and.."

"I know" Gene said cutting Ray off and, heading into his office, closed the door behind him.

"Finally. DCI Hunt!" DCI Bennett was keen to get on with business, and patience was not a virtue he was familiar with.

"Like I said it's been a bad do all round so lets get on shall we? We'll need everything you've got that refers to Operation Rose and any other information you might have gathered into Police corruption here or at any other station."

Gene was trying to keep a rein on his temper but there were things he needed to know and he wasn't about to hand everything over without at least getting some answers.

"That man I shot who was he?" Gene glared at Bennett awaiting a response.

Bennett looked to be considering his reply but first addressed his DI

"Lucas, go and make a start on collecting all the paperwork" and with that he ushered him out of the office and turned his attention back to Gene.

"This is going to sound a bit…well odd I suppose. The man you shot seems to have been going by the name Martin Summers."

Gene raised his eyebrows recalling some of what Alex had said about him as Bennet continued

"We found the flat he had been living in, if you could call it living, there was no furniture just a sleeping bag and the wall was covered with photos and evidence relating to cases you and your team were involved in; but more than that he seems to have had…shall we say a special interest in DI Drake. There were a number of photos of her, and of the two of you together, also there was a diary…mostly nonsense but it seems he had been observing DI Drake - even breaking into her flat to watch her sleeping. Now I don't know why you suspended DI Drake but it would seem that this Martin Summers was intent on separating the two of you. It seems he was, well, jealous for want of a better word, of the relationship between DI Drake and yourself."

Gene was reeling, his mind struggling to take onboard the information he was receiving

"But who was he? I mean really…PC Martin Summers was found murdered, so why was he using that name?"

Bennett shrugged….

"Like I said a lot of it doesn't make sense, but that's not your problem now. We are satisfied that DI Drake was not involved in any corrupt activities so unless anything else comes to light there is an end of it as far as you and your team are concerned. We won't take any action against DC Skelton for his part in it, as a gesture of goodwill and in recognition for all your team have been through. It's been a tough time but as far as the public are concerned it's business as usual."

With that Bennett got up and made for the door, his eyes scanning around for his DI and, spotting Lucas signalled his intention to leave

"I'll wish you and your team all the best for the future, DCI Hunt." and with that Bennett and Lucas were gone.

*****************************************************

Alex had to put up with being poked and prodded at by the Doctor and various nurses, but it seemed she was going to be O.K. Gene's bullet hadn't done any major damage and now it was just a matter of letting the wound heal. There was a lot of healing to be done though and her bullet wound was perhaps the easiest one to repair. Although things with Gene seemed to be at least heading in the right direction it was going to be a long road ahead.

Somehow, she knew she would find the strength to carry on fighting to get back to Molly, but then Martin Summers words came back to haunt her. He had questioned whether she really wanted to go back to her daughter and had told her that she had only said one word since arriving at hospital - "Gene."

There was a connection between them. Alex had long felt it although she had been keeping Gene at arms length, never letting him get too close no matter how much she had longed for him, wanted him. Now he had kissed her twice! And once at her request! O.K so they weren't exactly full of burning desire, but they had spoken of a mutual need and of the love between them that neither had ever acknowledged to themselves let alone each other.

Later that evening, as Alex was struggling to eat what passed for hospital food, she was pleasantly interrupted by the sight of Ray, Chris and Shaz entering the ward, although she noticed Gene's absence with a twinge of sadness.

Shaz was carrying a huge bouquet of flowers and Ray had a large box of Milk Tray in his hands, even Chris had bought a bottle of Lucozade.

"Good to see you doing well Ma'am." Ray said looking slightly uncomfortable but summoning as much enthusiasm as he could, without doing anything that could be seen as 'poofy'.

Shaz was sniffing back tears but she was smiling "Ma'am it's so good to see you."

"Yeah you gave us quite a scare Boss…I mean Ma'am…glad to see you're on the mend" Chris said smiling.

"Where's the Guv" Alex asked.

"He's on his way, he said he had to get something first." Ray said.

They passed the next 20 minutes happily chatting and laughing but with Alex's eyes drifting frequently to the ward entrance in hopes of seeing Gene arrive.

When Ray, Chris and Shaz said their goodbyes with still no sign of Gene, Alex couldn't help but feel downcast and she put her hands to her face to try and hold back the tears that threatened to flow again.

"Alright Bols?" Gene's familiar growl snapped Alex out of her misery.

"Sorry I took so long but Luigi was busy and I had to wait."

He held out a take away container to her, the aroma from which was already making her mouth water. She accepted it with delight and began devouring it with enthusiasm.

"Thank you Gene" she said through mouthfuls of Luigi's special sauce.

"Well we can't have you wasting away on hospital muck can we, you need some good grub to build your strength up" Gene said smiling. "Any news on how long they are gonna keep you in here?" he asked.

"Doctor says just a couple of days if there was someone at home to look after me when I come out, if not I'll have to stay longer" Alex said, half hoping Gene might offer his help but not really expecting him to.

"Isn't there anyone you can ask?...no family or friends?" Gene was toying with the idea of offering his assistance but unsure as to how Alex would respond.

"There's no one…looks like I'll have to stay here" Alex said sadly.

"Well I could…I mean if you want, I could stay at your place for a few days…sleep on the settee, it's up to you but it might be nicer than being stuck in here…the lesser of two evils." Gene said feeling awkward and self conscious.

"That would be lovely, I mean if you're sure. . . " Alex could hardly contain her delight although the thought of sharing a flat with Gene also made her feel slightly nervous.

Gene had gone quiet. He looked deep in thought and merely grunted his affirmative response; the thought of spending so much time alone with Alex thrilling him and terrifying him in equal measure - not that he would say anything to indicate either of those emotions to Alex.

"What happened with DCI Bennett?" Alex asked bringing Gene's thoughts back to more unpleasant matters.

"Well, [like] he said it was a case of thank you and goodbye. Our services in the matter are no longer required so that's it - case closed" Gene said without bothering to disguise the irritation and anger in his voice.

"Is it really case closed though? I mean as far as you are concerned?" Alex couldn't believe that Gene would be happy to just sweep everything that had happened under the carpet.

Gene paused and let out a heavy sigh before replying.

" We've been to hell and back these last few months. I forgave Mac as he lay dying 'cause like I said 'there for the grace of God' ; and Chris, the silly bugger! If he had a brain he'd be dangerous but - erm -lets just say I'd be a bloody hypocrite if I didn't at least give him a chance to put things right. You know I felt a bit like Sheriff William Kane by the end of it all though, after I heard that tape and after everything we'd been through, it was like my bloody High Noon and I was ready to throw my sheriffs badge in the dirt."

Alex reached out to take Gene's hand in hers.

"But in the end, in High Noon - the film I mean - the woman Kane loves, and who loves him, is the only one he can count on, she doesn't forsake him after all."

Gene was looking down at their joined hands, mulling something over in his mind, and he didn't meet her eyes as he began to speak.

"Look Bolly I still can't make heads nor tails of all that stuff you said about Summers and the rest of it, but maybe we should draw a line under it. I mean the powers that be have decreed it to be over as far as we're concerned and, for the sake of my sanity, I think it's best if we never speak of it ever again."

Alex should have felt relieved that they could carry on as before and pretend nothing had happened, but it had and she wasn't sure it would be so easy.

"So that's it then, forgive and forget" she said but Gene didn't reply he still looked lost in thought. Alex squeezed his hand gently and continued

" I hope you at least know now that I AM on your side, that I always was."

"Well then Bols that's all that matters isn't it, in the end" Gene replied as he met her gaze and gently squeezed her hand.


	3. Chapter 3

No Place Like Home - Chapter 3

A big thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read and review *HUGS*

*****************************************************************

Gene was prowling around outside the hospital ward waiting for the Doctor to discharge Alex into his care he took a quick sip from one of his hipflasks as he heard her approaching.

"Really I don't want a wheelchair I can walk" Alex was protesting.

"I'm afraid it's hospital policy Alexandra" the Doctor insisted as a nurse pushed a wheelchair in and Alex reluctantly seated herself in it.

"Right then are we ready for the off?" Gene took his place and began to push Alex towards the exit.

"Steady on Gene this isn't the Quattro you know!" Alex said clinging on for dear life as Gene took a sharp corner on their way out.

"Sorry Bolly just want to get you outta here" Gene had parked the Quattro almost next to the exit.

"Gene you shouldn't have parked there the ambulances won't be able to get through" Alex said not entirely surprised that Gene had abused his parking privileges again.

"Well I didn't fancy pushing you miles in this bloody thing, anyway we're here now." Gene seemed slightly on edge as he carefully helped Alex into the passenger seat of the Quattro. He even fastened her seatbelt making sure not to catch her injured side.

They passed the short journey back to her flat mostly in silence with just a few quick interludes mostly from Alex asking about work and how the rest of the team were getting on. Gene had put in for a couple of days holiday so that he could look after Alex properly during her first few days back at the flat. After getting Alex safely up the stairs and then bringing up her overnight bag and the bag he had packed with things he would need during his time there, Gene busied himself in the kitchen making them both a cuppa.

"D'ya want anything to eat Bols?" Gene inquired as he began randomly opening drawers and cupboards looking at Alex's woeful food supplies.

"Not really hungry yet, I had breakfast at the hospital" Alex replied from her comfortable position on the settee.

"Good job. There's not enough to feed a mouse in here. Looks like we'll have to send out for some shopping" Gene said as he walked in the room with their tea.

"You shop and we drop" Alex said half smiling.

"What?" Gene asked looking puzzled to Alex's muttered response of "Nothing"

"I'll pop downstairs see if Luigi can spare anything, maybe get one of his staff to nip down the shops" and with that he was through the door and off before Alex could protest.

*********************************************************************

Later that afternoon Alex was taking a nap on her bed as Gene was keeping himself busy unpacking the shopping that Luigi's waitress had got for him. The sight of a row of tapes in one of the drawers stopped him in his tracks. They were the same make as the one that had been left in his office. Looking them over Gene could see each tape had a date written on it and the dates began a few days after Alex had arrived at his station, and in his life.

Alex was stirring in her sleep and muttering, Gene could just about make out the name Molly then she became more agitated, he slammed the drawer shut making the tapes rattle as he went over to the bedroom unsure about whether or not to go and rouse Alex from her troubled sleep.

"No, no, please no" Alex was thrashing about "GENE" she yelled desperately as he leapt to her side scooping her up into his arms.

"S'alright Bol's just a bad dream that's all" he said, gently stroking her hair.

"What, what happened" Alex said opening her eyes confused still half lost in the dream about Martin Summers she'd just had; he'd been taunting her, telling her that Gene was the one keeping her trapped in this World and that he would never let her go. Suddenly Alex was aware that she was being held by Gene and that, although he was being tender and comforting she felt suffocated, the dream had unsettled her and left her with an air of unease. Shrugging herself gently from Gene's arms so as not to make him think she didn't want him to hold her, Alex slowly made her way off towards the bathroom.

"I'll be right back…call of nature" she quickly said to calm Gene's worries as he looked quite concerned by her efforts to remove herself from his company.

In the bathroom Alex quickly bolted the door and moved to look at her reflection in the mirror as she shakily turned on the cold water tap and splashed some water on her face, the feeling of dread slowly fading. It was a dream nothing more she told herself, giving herself a mental shake. Martin Summers had done enough damage and she refused to let him poison her mind anymore…but didn't Gene say "You're not going anywhere until I say so, and I DON'T say so" Alex shook herself again, it was just a turn of phrase, that's all. She was just being silly by giving it any greater significance.

Walking back into the living room, Alex could hear Gene clattering about in the kitchen.

"Thought I'd rustle us up some dinner Bolly, that O.K?" Gene shouted.

Alex was taken aback. Gene was here to take care of her but she hadn't expected him to be cooking, she didn't even know he could. She walked towards the kitchen and tentatively peered inside. Gene was still in his work suit as he had called in at the station before coming to the hospital, but he had dispensed with his jacket and tie and rolled up his shirt sleeves.

"Trying to finish me off properly this time are you?, I mean shooting me didn't work so thought you give poisoning a go!" Alex said with more than a hint of mischief.

"Bloody cheek!" Gene replied trying hard not to smile "You alright now Bolly? You were shaking like a shitting dog back there!"

"Fine thanks! Honestly Gene you have such a coarse turn of phrase at times" Alex said half disgusted but also secretly slightly amused.

Gene offered no apology he just continued in his task of preparing dinner "Steak and chips O.K? He inquired.

"Lovely" Alex agreed "Didn't know you knew your way around a kitchen" she said gently teasing him.

"What me? Delia Smith's got nothing on the Gene Genie!" Gene said grinning.

Alex chuckled and went to make herself comfortable on the settee feeling a twinge in her side as she laughed.

"You alright?" Gene asked concerned at hearing her wince with pain.

"Yes it only hurts when I laugh" Alex said smiling.

Soon they were seated at the table enthusiastically devouring their steak and chips. Alex couldn't help taking in the sight of Gene tucking into his food. He certainly had a healthy appetite and she liked that about him.

"Everything alright Bolly?" Gene asked gesturing towards the food as he noted Alex was staring at him instead of eating.

"Delicious thank you, I could get used to this" Alex said smiling.

"Nah I don't think so...Luigi needs the custom for one thing" Gene said feeling suddenly uncomfortable at the tableau of domestic bliss that had popped into his mind at her words.

They slipped into silence for the rest of the meal; Alex thinking how awkward the rest of Gene's stay in the flat might be and Gene thinking about those tapes and the mention of Molly, whom he presumed was Alex's daughter; he thought about what he'd said when he accused her of being cold and how she had slapped his face…deservedly so he thought on reflection.

As they settled on the settee after dinner Gene toyed with the idea of asking Alex about Molly, the T.V was on and they were sat close but slightly apart.

"Alex you mentioned a name earlier, I mean when you had that bad dream…you said Molly…is she your daughter?" Gene asked tentatively.

Alex had been trying to distract her self from dwelling on Gene's closeness by getting into the plot of Crossroads, it wasn't working, but she hadn't been expecting him to ask about Molly.

"Yes" Was all Alex could manage in reply

Unsure if he should continue but curious nonetheless Gene fumbled on

"Yer can talk to me…if you want, I mean I'd like to know about Molly"

Alex didn't know where to start it wasn't that she didn't want to talk to Gene about Molly but she didn't know how she could possibly explain how things were without taking the conversation to places that Gene had made it clear he didn't want to go. Feeling flustered and as if she was being backed into a corner Alex lashed out in anger.

"You know you accused me of not caring about my daughter, said I never talked about her, but what about you? You never talk about your family, your past; you never refer to your ex-wife and then there's Sam Tyler he was your DI for seven years for God sake! Yet you never even mention his name"

Gene was unprepared for her attack and felt his temper rising "Now hang on a bloody minute, what's my past got to do with anything? The ex Mrs Hunt is exactly that… as for Sam Tyler he's dead and gone all the talking in the World won't change that, will it?"

Alex felt bad for her impulsive outburst and after Gene had been taking care of her so well.

"Gene I'm sorry…" was all she managed though as they were interrupted by a knock at the door.

It was Shaz who looked apologetic as she proffered a bundle of letters she had been holding.

"I'm so sorry Ma'am. I picked up your post when I came to get you a change of clothes last night and then I thought I would put it together with your post from the station but I forgot all about it until I was getting ready to go home"

"It's fine Shaz, really"Alex said taking the bundle of letters from her.

Shaz didn't stay long and soon made her excuses wanting to get back to Chris to sort out last minute arrangements for the wedding.

Gene was feeling uneasy after their little spat and took the opportunity to slip away for a while "If you're O.K Bol's I think I'll just nip downstairs, have a pint with Ray" he said already half way out of the door.

"Alright" Alex replied still feeling awful about the way she turned on him before and understanding that he needed a bit of space.

Alex glanced down at the post it was mostly junk mail but her eyes were drawn towards a large brown envelope. It was plain but for her name and address hand written in capitals on the front. Tearing her way into it she gasped as a flurry of dead rose petals fell out onto her lap. There was one white A4 sheet of paper inside and Alex's hands were trembling as she pulled it out and began reading the typed letter.

_Dearest Alex_

_If you are reading this letter then it must mean that I have departed this world for good, by 'this world' I mean of course 1982 but I think my time in the other world will also have come to a close. I am not sorry and you mustn't be either because I believe that I will truly be able to rest in peace now in a way I never would never have been able to had I not been given the chance to put things right._

_I am assuming that you now know what 'Operation Rose' really meant to me and why I acted as I did. I offer no apologies or excuses. I did what needed to be done and I will never be sorry for that. I think that in time you will thank me for breaking, or at least weakening the bond between yourself and Gene Hunt - he is more dangerous to you than that bullet in your head ever was because he has gotten under your skin in a way that no surgeon could ever remove. If you really want to get home you will have to cut him out yourself or risk him burrowing so deep that you will never be able to break free._

_Do you know we met once before Alex? I had hoped that you would recognise me but it seems you left more of an impression on me than I did on you. It may surprise you to know that I had 'anger management' issues and just before I was pensioned off out of the force for good I was sent to see one of your colleagues in Psych Evaluation Division. I was sat in the waiting area when you walked past I was struck firstly by your beauty and your grace and then you smiled at me as you passed by. I asked the receptionist for your name and later when I left the office I arranged for a florist to send you a dozen red roses. I would have sent more but you were transferred and I didn't know where you had gone and then I fell ill, imagine my shock and delight when I found we were hospital neighbours! I had hoped our shared plight in this world might have brought us together in more ways than one but I soon saw that you only had eyes for one man, the same man who's name you say in your sleep "Gene"._

_I will bid you goodbye now Alex and wish you good luck on the rest of your journey, I hope you will make it back home and back to Molly but remember my warning 'THE CLOSER YOU GET TO GENE HUNT THE FURTHER AWAY MOLLY WILL BE'_

_You Friend_

_Martin Summers._

Alex screwed the letter up in disgust. Even in death Martin Summers was haunting her, trying to twist her thoughts and separate her from Gene. Well, she wouldn't let him win. Thinking it over Alex grew angrier. Martin Summers had failed. He hadn't changed anything aside from shooting his younger self. The Met were still going to cover up what had really happened with Operation Rose and Carnegie and the rest of them wouldn't get the justice that Summers had been seeking.

Alex ripped the letter up and went to dispose of it in the kitchen bin, pushing the pieces deep down out of sight. The pain in her side began to throb again and tiredness overtook her. She stumbled across to the drawer that held her pain medication and popped a couple of pills out ready to take. The pain was intensifying now and she grasped at the kitchen work surface for support. Gene, who had just quietly let himself back in, saw Alex struggling and rushed to her side to offer his assistance, filling a tumbler of water so that she could take her pills and supporting her as she swallowed them down.

"Bolly c'mon lets get you settled in bed" Gene said helping her in the direction of her bedroom.

Alex felt too tired to do anything and she flopped back onto the bed. She was already wearing her pyjamas as they were the most comfortable things she could find that didn't pinch at her injured side. Gene removed her slippers and pulled the covers over her his closeness making her feel protected and safe.

"Gene…Stay with me…" Alex said pleadingly but, sensing Gene's discomfort at the intimacy of the situation, she continued "Just until I fall asleep, please?"

Gene didn't answer but he sat down at the side of the bed and began to remove his boots and jacket then edged his whole body onto the bed and gently reached one arm around her. Alex snuggled into his chest letting herself be lulled by the sound of his strong, steady heartbeat.

"Night Bolly" he said and pressed a light kiss on the top of her head, but Alex made no reply as she had already drifted off into a deep dreamless sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks everyone for reading and reviewing *Mwah* and special thanks to my Beta reader Skywise for soldiering on after her nasty dose of Swine Flu!!!

*********************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Gene stirred in his sleep the unfamiliar feeling of an arm draped over his chest causing him to wake up fully as the slow realisation of his present situation dawned on him.

The room was dark and the clock by the bedside read 3:03 a.m. Gene acknowledged that he must have nodded off because, despite his initial wariness, the feeling of lying on the bed with Alex in his arms had been strangely calming to his senses and he had soon followed her into a deep sleep. However he now felt a more pressing need and he gently extricated himself from Alex's sleepy embrace to go and answer that call of nature.

Finishing up in the bathroom Gene decided he could do with a quick drink of water and maybe a smoke before heading back to bed, although he wasn't sure if he should get back into bed with Alex or pitch up on the settee for the rest of the night. With all these thoughts whirring through his mind and whilst fumbling for the light switch, Gene stumbled into the kitchen bin and upset the contents all over the floor.

Finally finding the switch he blinked, adjusting to the light, and listened to see if the noise had awoken Alex but, hearing her softly sighing in her sleep, Gene applied himself to the task of cleaning up the mess from the bin. The rubbish was soon scooped up and Gene wasn't really paying attention beyond feeling disgusted at picking up the cold fat he had trimmed from the steak earlier, when his eyes were drawn to a scrap of torn paper. He could see his name typed in block capitals and he picked it up for closer inspection. All he could make out was '...TO GENE HUNT THE FURTHER AWAY MOLLY WILL BE'

Seeing the name of Alex's daughter alongside his own was enough to pique his interest, so he began rifling through the bin to try and retrieve the rest of the letter. Finally Gene felt he had found all the pieces and, arranging them in the proper order, he began to read…

As Gene read, words and phrases leapt out at him :

..... by "this world" I mean of course 1982 . . . .

.... you will thank me for breaking . . . the bond between you and Gene Hunt . . .

... he is more dangerous than the bullet in your head . . .

.... we were hospital neighbours . . .

.... you have eyes for only one man . . . Gene....

"What the bloody hell…" Gene muttered to himself.

He quickly read the letter again, his mind desperately trying to make some sense of it all and he mentally replayed the conversation he'd had with Alex when he asked her to tell the truth about herself. The sound of her voice as she'd answered him came flooding back

"I'm from the future…" she had said, and it sounded as crazy in his mind now as it had done when she first uttered it.

Gene was fumbling around the kitchen, looking for something stronger than water to drink, when his thoughts led him to the drawer full of tapes he had glimpsed before. Taking out the tape with the earliest date on it he put it into the nearby tape machine and pressed play.

"My name is Alex Drake."

Gene rolled his eyes and lowered the volume. Although he was mindful not to disturb Alex, he still needed to try and get some clarity on all this before he confronted her with what he'd found, Alex's voice on the tape continued…

"I've just been shot and that bullet has taken me back to 1981…."

Gene didn't really hear the rest as his mind was working overtime. This was madness! Nothing was making sense and he wasn't sure it ever would again.

"I'm not going to die, I'm coming back to you Molly."

The tape ended leaving Gene feeling that his world had been shaken to its very foundations. He made his way over to the settee and slumped down, sipping at the large scotch he had poured, but fixing this was way beyond the powers of even a fine single malt.

*******************************************

Alex blinked slowly, rousing herself from her pleasant slumber. She was disappointed, but not entirely surprised, to note Gene's absence from her bed. She carefully stretched out and glanced at the clock, noting that the time had just turned 6 a.m.

Gently easing herself out of bed she slowly made her way into the living room trying to be quiet and not disturb Gene if he was still asleep. However as she rounded the corner she saw Gene sat on the settee with his head resting back. Hearing her enter the room he jolted himself upright and fumbled for a way to start.

"Alex we need to talk" was the best opening he could think of, not exactly original but it would get the ball rolling.

Alex took in Gene's dishevelled appearance and the obvious unease in his voice.

"What is it?" she asked feeling increasingly nervous and worried.

Gene got up and retrieved the letter fragments from the kitchen along with the tape player and in it the latest of Alex's tapes that he had been listening to. He placed them down on the coffee table in front of her as if he were about to begin one of his interrogations back at the station.

"I want you to make this lot make sense to me Alex because right now I don't know which bloody way is up! You know I thought we could forget about that little outburst before…all that 'I'm from the future' bollocks, thought maybe we could just put it down to the red army being on the march again or just the bloody fact that you're a woman but now I honestly don't know what to think"

Gene slumped back down on the settee next to Alex his hands rubbing at his face. Alex, who had remained silently shocked throughout Gene's presentation of the evidence against her, began trying to formulate a response in her mind. She wondered how on Earth she could possibly explain everything and if Gene would even be able to bring himself to listen if she did.

Risking a glance at Gene, Alex found his amazing blue eyes staring back at her. She thought, and not for the first time, that she could lose herself in those eyes; the intensity of his glare both thrilled and frightened her and she swallowed, trying to find her voice.

"I don't know what to say, well I mean I do but I don't think you want to hear it, not really" Alex fumbled.

"Oh I do Bolly I really, really do" Gene said fixing her in his penetrating glare.

Alex took a deep breath in preparation and began

"Alright but you have to promise me you'll let me get it all out, no interruptions no matter how ridiculous or just plain crazy it may sound, let me just get it all out"

Gene slowly nodded his response as Alex launched into a lengthy explanation, beginning with how she had come to know of Sam Tyler through the tapes he had sent her after emerging from his coma and his experiences in 1973; how she had met him only once before his suicide in 2007. Then onto her own situation and how she had come to be shot by Arthur Layton; how she had awoken in 1981 and about her connection to Tim and Caroline Price and Evan White; finally recounting her involvement with Martin Summers and restating her determination to keep fighting to get back to her daughter. Alex finally finished talking and slumped forward, her head in her hands.

Gene had remained silent throughout, his face an unreadable mask. He had hoped that Alex's explanation would somehow straighten everything out in his mind, that her words would bring clarity to the craziness but it was a vain hope and he was more confused now than ever.

"Don't know about you Bolly but I could do with a drink and a bacon butty" he said finally, rising from the settee, giving himself a shake and heading into the kitchen.

Alex lifted her head from her hands and looked up in bewilderment.

"What? Nothing to say?" she asked - shocked at Gene's muted response.

"Nope! Not yet anyway. Not on an empty stomach." Gene called from the kitchen already busying himself with breakfast preparations.

After eating breakfast in silence Gene had excused himself saying he wanted to take a bath and freshen up. Alex hadn't tried to get him to talk as, among her many other emotions, she was just glad that he hadn't fled after listening to her story. Maybe there was a small chance that she could get him to believe her this time.

Gene sank back into the hot bath hoping it would have the desired calming effect on his body but thoughts of being naked in Alex's bath, and of the many times she would have occupied this same position naked herself, kept creeping unbidden into his mind. He felt inappropriate, if not entirely unwelcome, stirrings and tried to push the thoughts away only to find himself thinking about Alex's tapes and he began replaying part of the last one he had listened to in his head.

"Gene Hunt. Why is he always in my head? I will admit that of all of Sam's constructs he was the one that intrigued me the most and when I met him in the flesh, so to speak, I confess I was surprised at just how magnificent a beast he was. The Manc Lion indeed! Those eyes and eyelashes, those hands and long fingers, those long, long legs….anyway…this is my version of Gene Hunt not Sam's. I doubt very much that he saw him in the same way I do…even if Gene did often refer to him as Dorothy! No this will not do. I won't be distracted by Gene Hunt…I will repeat the mantra 'Gene Hunt is not sexy' ten times before bed as penance…well on second thoughts maybe not before bed!"

The tape had tailed off at that point to the sound of Alex's giggles. Gene thought she had sounded more than a little drunk throughout but still it was something hopeful to hold onto amidst the madness.

A knock at the door snapped Gene from his reverie and went some way to dampening his ardour

"Gene I'm sorry to disturb you but I really need to use the toilet" Alex said, sounding very apologetic.

"Alright Bols just a minute" Gene said, raising himself out of the bath and flinging a towel around his waist.

Alex couldn't help but blush as Gene opened the door and moved past her allowing her access to the bathroom. The sight of him naked but for a towel that barely covered what it should made her feel heat in places other than her cheeks.

Gene was just thankful that his body had calmed down before he opened the door, now was not the time and anyway she was recovering from a gunshot wound, he would be strong in the face of temptation - for the time being at least!

*************************************************************

Later that day they were seated on the settee, avoiding conversation by feigning interest in the television - Alex desperate to know what Gene was thinking and Gene thinking about Martin Summer's letter, especially the part about Alex saying his name in her sleep, when suddenly the familiar theme tune to Doctor Who rang out from the T.V. Gene let out an exasperated sigh got up and switched it off.

"Oh! Leave it I like Doctor Who" Alex protested.

"Maybe I might've done if I thought it were science fiction and not a bloody documentary!" Gene said flopping back down on the settee.

Alex turned to look him in the eyes unable to hold back any longer.

"Where do we go from here Gene?" she asked, still clinging to the small hope that somehow they would be able to get through this.

"It's funny. I were just thinking about my Uncle Fred, daft sod he was. He married this woman - Irene. Everyone warned him against it cause she was a lush and a slapper, d'ya know they had five kids and I'm not sure any of 'em were his! But he wouldn't hear a word against her, worshipped the ground she walked on. Me Mam said to him one day 'Fred why don't you just get rid? And I remember his answer to this day… cause he was somewhat of a philosopher was Fred. He said 'if it comes to a choice between living a beautiful lie or accepting the ugly truth I'd choose the lie every time.'"

Gene finished and took a swig of the single malt he'd poured earlier.

Alex was unsure how to respond. She supposed that what he was saying was when you love someone you only see what you want to see, no matter what the truth might be. Did that mean that Gene loved her? That he was going to just ignore the things about her that he couldn't cope with?

"Gene, I can't begin to imagine how difficult all this must be for you, but thank you for listening, for staying, for being my constant" Alex finally managed as she reached over to take Gene's hand in her own.

Gene closed his hand around hers and managed a small smile which she happily returned.

"Funny thing is Bolly, some of it does actually make sense…I mean the things Sam used to come out with, the things you've said…well I don't know! What I do know is that I'm here now and so are you…as for the rest of it…lets just take one day at a time eh?"

"And you can do that can you? Just carry on as normal after all this?" Alex questioned, knowing it wouldn't be easy but also feeling a terrible weight had been lifted. She wouldn't have to lie to Gene anymore but she would still have to tread carefully.

"Well tomorrow's Sunday and then I'm due back at the station on Monday, so yeah it'll be business as usual for the Gene Genie! I said before that it's you and me Bolly, it's you and me…we're in it together."

He reached over and took Alex in his arms and she wrapped her arms around him pulling him as close as her tender side would allow. It was in that moment that Alex thought there was a lot to be said for choosing the beautiful lie…for now at least!


	5. Chapter 5

No Place Like Home – Chapter 5

Again Many Thanks for Reading and Reviewing *Mwah*

Also please note this story is rated M for some sexual content!

****************************************************

Gene was true to his word and resolutely carried on as normal returning to work but still spending every spare moment with Alex. He even stayed on at her flat for another week, sleeping on the settee.

The relationship between them had grown and the connection was deeper still but both Alex and Gene were still being guarded in their disclosures to each other, Alex because she knew she couldn't promise Gene anything and Gene because although he was holding on to the good things he had heard Alex say about him, he couldn't forget the rest no matter how hard he tried.

Alex was getting stronger everyday. Her wound was healing well and although the sadness of being separated from Molly remained, she was drawing comfort from Gene. The boredom was getting to her though, the lack of daytime television such as it was and the other distractions of modern living that she had taken for granted in 2008 meant that while she was away from work the long hours were hard to fill. Shaz, ever thoughtful, had brought her lots of magazines to look through although most of them were Bride and Wedding related; Ray had lent her some videos but she had soon discovered 'An Officer and a Gentleman' was not the version she had been expecting and Chris had popped in for little chats here and there. He really seemed to value her advice although she wasn't sure about proffering any suggestions for his and Shaz's wedding night!

Then there was Gene. He brought work files for her to read through and talked about cases he needed her input on; he sat and watched t.v with her and the occasional film as long as it wasn't anything soppy! He had even arranged a party for her at Luigi's - or at least he had bunged Luigi more than a few quid to lay on a nice spread to celebrate Alex's recovery and imminent return to work.

It was early December now and the build up to Christmas had begun. Luigi had put up the decorations already, partly to add to the ambience for Alex's party and partly because he was still childlike in his enthusiasm for this particular time of year. The scene was set and, as Gene led Alex downstairs towards the waiting crowd, she noted the extra effort he had made with his appearance, he was wearing a shirt that was a lovely shade of blue it really complimented his eyes, it was unbuttoned at the neck; no tie and a navy jacket and smart navy trousers completed the look with the ever present boots of course.

"Looking good Mr Hunt" Alex had said when she opened the door to him giving him an appreciative lingering glance.

Gene in turn had been taken aback by Alex's appearance. She always looked beautiful to him but this evening, in a flatteringly cut cream patterned dress, she took his breath away. Her dress certainly wasn't skimpy and had seasonably long sleeves but he thought she had never looked so lovely.

"Not so bad yerself" was all the compliment he had allowed Alex though as he escorted her downstairs to the restaurant.

All the team were assembled and they met Alex's entrance with an enthusiastic roar, each taking the time to speak to her personally and wishing her well. The evening passed in good company and good cheer with everyone genuinely pleased that Alex was going to be back at work on Monday morning. Gene stayed near her all night getting her drinks and chatting in between mingling with the crowd. It was getting late as Luigi put on some romantic slow songs and Chris and Shaz were happily smooching away. Alex was sitting alone in the corner and Gene came over to sit beside her.

"What ya doin sat here on yer todd?" Gene leant in towards her somewhat the worse for drink but just about the right side of downright pissed.

"Waiting for someone to ask me to dance" Alex said looking at him hopefully.

"The Gene Genie doesn't do dancing!" Gene replied matter of factly.

"No? What does the Gene Genie do then?" Alex asked with more than a hint of mischief.

Gene flashed her a devilish grin and edged closer, ready to impart something that was meant for her ears only, when Ray suddenly appeared flopping down in the seat next to Gene.

"Alright Guv? Me Chris and Shaz are sharing a taxi home, are you in?"

Alex and Gene exchanged a regretful glance but Gene, still sober enough to realise his place as head of the team, addressed Ray.

"O.K Raymondo…give us a shout when it's here" and with that he gestured with his eyes for Ray to go and give him a bit more time alone with Alex.

Both feeling disappointed but accepting that maybe the timing wasn't right ,Gene spoke first.

"Best get off to bed Bols. I need you at your best for Monday morning . . . place hasn't been the same without you."

"Missed me have you?" Alex asked knowing he had but surprised to hear him admit it.

"It's been too bloody quiet - thought I'd gone deaf!" Gene said pouting.

"Don't worry I'll be back driving you crazy before you know it" Alex said grinning.

"Wouldn't want it any other way" Gene replied smiling back.

Ray shouted over that the taxi had arrived and the gang said their goodbyes. As Ray, Chris and Shaz went ahead Alex followed Gene to the doorway hoping for at least a goodnight kiss, but he wasn't forthcoming and simply wished her 'Sweet Dreams' as he left her disappointed at the foot of the stairs.

***********************************

Monday morning came and Alex felt a strange mix of excitement and slight apprehension about returning to work. It would help to keep busy she reasoned as being stuck in the flat had been giving her mind too much time to dwell on the lack of communication from 'home'. Months had passed before without much happening but, since her false return to 2008, aside from the doctor's voice informing her that she had slipped into a deeper coma nothing else had come through. The growing closeness between herself and Gene had been causing a conflict of emotions within her too and occasionally although she hated herself for thinking it, she couldn't help but wonder if there was anything in Summer's warning to her 'THE CLOSER YOU GET TO GENE HUNT THE FURTHER AWAY MOLLY WILL BE'.

By the time Alex walked back into the station she found her fears had calmed. The familiar surroundings and friendly faces brought with them the comfortable feeling of reassurance that goes with a regular routine. Everyone was glad to see her back and even Ray managed a genuine welcome, Gene had come out of his office to greet her but it was soon back to business as usual. There were the seemingly never ending reports of muggings, burglaries and assaults with the occasional murder all demanding her attention. The hours flew by and it was home time before she knew it, Gene had signalled his intentions to take her over the road for dinner and drinks and she began gathering up her things ready to leave when the phone on her desk began to ring.

She picked up the receiver only for her blood to run cold at the sound of the weaselling voice that came through.

"Ello Alex, remember me? Last time we met we had a blast!" he laughed smugly and the line went dead.

"Layton!" Alex hissed feeling sick to her stomach as she smashed the receiver down.

Arthur Layton had been on the run since he was paroled and had played his part in helping her father in his final desperate act. Why had he resurfaced now? What did it mean? Would Layton be her exit route after all? And should she tell Gene?

Things hadn't played out to well when she had concealed her involvement with Martin Summers from him but she still felt she had to be cautious, maybe she would just hold back until there was something more to tell, after all one short phone call after months of silence didn't really amount to anything. No, she decided, she wouldn't tell Gene yet.

"C'mon Bolly - me stomach thinks me throats been cut!" Gene called out as he came out of his office, shrugging on his coat and heading for the door. Alex followed on after him and, despite her resolve over concealing her contact with Layton, there was a definite feeling of 'here we go again!' about the whole situation.

Later, as they sat in Luigi's Alex's thoughts were far away when she suddenly realised Gene was talking and turned her attention back to him. He was referring to Chris and Shaz who were sitting nearby holding hands and musing on how wonderful their future together was going to be.

"Silly sods, cotton wool for brains the pair of 'em!" Gene said in a surprising harsh fashion.

"Oh Gene" Alex said disapprovingly "Although I have to admit life hasn't exactly shown me all that many 'Happily ever afters' I'd still like to believe it's possible"

"Then you Lady Bols are a bigger fool than I gave you credit for" Gene said his mercurial temper rising leaving Alex confused as they had been getting on so well of late.

"What's wrong Gene?" Alex said concerned at what was at the root of his outburst.

He made as if to answer but thought better of it and merely shrugged and reached for his drink. An uncomfortable silence followed until Alex, troubled by the change in Gene's mood, decided to try again.

"Talk to me Gene, if something has upset you tell me and we can work it out"

Gene just huffed and started to get up and put his coat on.

"You look tired Bolly, you should get some sleep" he growled and with that he swept off towards the door without so much as a backward glance.

Alex was already upset after the phone call from Layton, and thinking that she and Gene were getting ever closer had given her a sense of security. Now he had walked away from her and left her confused. This behaviour from him was completely out of the blue.

She grabbed her coat and ran out into the cold, rainy night determined not to let Gene off the hook. Whatever was getting to him she needed to know. She didn't want to feel she was losing him again, not without at least knowing the reason why. The icy rain was falling faster as Alex looked around trying to spot Gene, battling to shield her eyes from the elements, then she saw him across the road about to get into the Quattro. She called out to him but he appeared not to hear as he got into the car and quickly screeched away.

Alex stood for a moment her tears mingling with the rain. She was soaked to the skin and numb from the cold as she slowly turned and began walking back towards Luigi's. She made her way wearily up the stairs to her flat and, after fumbling with the door due to her hands being frozen, she slumped sobbing to the floor.

A few minutes later a loud knocking on the door made her start and she slowly pulled herself up to answer it unaware of her dishevelled appearance.

"Gene!" she gasped in shock seeing him standing apologetically in the doorway.

"Bloody hell Bols you look like a drowned rat" Gene said striding into the flat and starting to seek out a towel. "Let's get you dry before you catch your death."

Alex was shivering as Gene wrapped a towel around her and led her into the bedroom "G'won get some dry clothes on" Gene moved to leave Alex to change in privacy but she grabbed his hand to stop him.

"What was all that about before?" Alex asked, pulling Gene over to sit beside her on the bed.

Gene looked uncomfortable and couldn't meet her eye he hesitated before answering.

"Nothing…doesn't matter now" he finally said.

"Please Gene talk to me" Alex said gripping his hand tighter.

He shifted about displaying his discomfort but he met her gaze as he answered.

"It was listening to Shaz and Chris talking weddings and babies and you looking like you'd rather be anywhere than sat there with me"

Alex looked puzzled "I just had things on my mind that's all…Why are you suddenly getting so worked up over Chris and Shaz? They've been talking weddings for weeks now."

"For them two it's all possibilities they've got it all to look forward too" Gene stopped and let out a heavy sigh.

Alex thought she understood now what had been troubling him.

"I can't help how things are Gene. One day I will leave this World and there won't be any coming back for me, I can't do what Sam did, someone needs me and I can't let her down. I had to grow up without a Mother and I don't want that for Molly. I wish we could all be together at the right time and in the right place but we can't…that doesn't mean it will be easy for me to leave you behind. I know you once accused me of being cold and I can even understand how, from your point of view, I could seem that way. But I kept my distance because I can't promise you anything; all we can ever have is here and now"

Gene moved in closer, taking Alex in his arms "Then we'd better not waste another minute."

He brought his lips tentatively to hers, softly at first to give her chance to protest but she responded with enthusiasm pulling him closer. Alex felt that maybe she shouldn't do this, Gene didn't want her to leave and if she let him in completely maybe she wouldn't be able to. It felt too good though as all things that might do you harm often do. Who cares about the danger when chasing such a thrill?

He began unbuttoning her blouse as it clung damply to her, still wet from the rain, and she in turn began working on his clothing, pulling his coat down and loosening his tie. She loved that coat and the way it swished around when Gene was striding about - just the thought was making her body tremble with desire.

Gene mistook her trembling for shivering from the cold and moved to cover her increasing nakedness with his own body, removing their remaining clothing as swiftly as possible he then pulled the duvet over to cover them both.

,

"Warm enough?" he asked still concerned that her shivering was due to reasons other than anticipation of what was about to happen between them.

"Mmmm" was all the reply she could manage as she wrapped herself around him, feeling his erection pressing against her. She reached down to stroke his length making him moan with pleasure as he returned the favour dipping two of his fingers into her hot wet core and gently stroking her most sensitive place.

Their kisses grew hungrier and deeper, their bodies flaming with desire as Gene moved to kiss and caress Alex's breasts, something he had longed to do and he felt himself grow even harder as he licked and kissed her nipples bringing them up to hardened peaks. His hand moved back between her legs and he was pleasantly surprised by how wet she was for him.

"Blimey Bols you're dripping like a fucked fridge" he said grinning.

Alex couldn't help but laugh. Only Gene Hunt could come out with something like that at a moment like this she thought, but then all her thoughts scattered as she felt his iron hard length plunge deep inside her. She gasped as he filled her completely, their eyes meeting as they both savoured the sensation, then he began to move slowly building up the pace, both of them revelling in the others moans of pleasure. Alex soon felt her orgasm start to build as she glanced over Gene's shoulder to see them both reflected in the mirrored drawers, the sight of him moving in her driving her to new heights. Gene in turn was savouring the sight of her squirming with pleasure beneath him and he made a mental note to thank her for having the foresight to choose a mirrored bed. Both of them were close now and Alex found herself begging Gene "Faster . . . deeper. . . please Gene" He was barely holding back as it was and, as he felt her clench around him and heard her beg and gasp out his name, he found his own release growling and filling her as they both convulsed with the aftershocks of the deepest of pleasures.

Lying together afterwards, wrapped in each others arms, Alex was the first to find her voice but she was affected by the emotion of not only what they had just shared but also of how precious it was, who knew how long they had together.

"I'll never forget tonight as long as I live and, wherever I may be I'll keep the memory with me always" she said, tears filling her eyes.

"No more talk of leaving…not tonight" Gene said moving to claim her as his own once more.


	6. Chapter 6

No Place Like Home – Chapter 6

Thanks for reading everyone *Hugs* and those who leave reviews *BIG HUGS* It helps to get feedback and the positive reviews make me feel it's worthwhile so thank you.

*******************************************************

Alex shifted uncomfortably in her chair while shuffling papers on her desk desperately trying to give the impression she was engrossed in her work when in truth all she could think of was Gene and what had happened between them the previous night - and earlier that morning. The soreness between her legs was a constant reminder whenever her mind threatened to drift to more unpleasant matters…like Arthur Layton.

There had been no intelligence on Layton for over a year now it seemed he had fled abroad, possibly to South America although there had been no definite proof. It wouldn't hurt to look over his old file though Alex thought to herself, but she would have to be careful as she didn't want anyone's suspicions aroused yet…especially Gene's.

Glancing at the clock Alex saw that only an hour had passed since she had arrived for work, Gene had woken her at 7 a.m with what she could only describe as a very rude awakening! Lingering in her memory was the tender way he had kissed the scar left by his bullet; there were no words of apology just an expression of regret and deepest sorrow in his eyes. Afterwards he had left to get changed before he was due for his shift at the station.

Alex had just got in before him as he swept into the office with a cheery "Good morning" which made everyone start as it was such an unusual occurrence for the Guv to be in a good mood at any time but especially first thing. Alex had met him with a disapproving glare worried that people would suspect something if Gene continued in such a happy mood, but he merely threw her a smug grin before taking his seat in his office, looking for all the world like an alpha lion surveying his pride.

As everyone in the office seemed otherwise occupied, even Gene who was talking on the phone, Alex took the opportunity to slip away to the file room. To her relief the room was empty and she began scanning the files for L and Layton but to her frustration it wasn't there. She double checked, thinking maybe it might have been accidentally put in the wrong place but it was nowhere to be found. Alex slumped down at the small desk her head in her hands when the door was pushed open. She looked up, quickly to see that it was Gene.

"There y'are Bols. I was wondering where you'd got to." he paused as he took in her downcast demeanour

"You alright?" he asked tentatively fearing she might be having second thoughts about what was happening between them.

Alex was fighting an internal battle, wanting to tell Gene about the call from Layton but not sure if she should when she had no idea of its significance to her predicament.

"Yes fine" she replied sounding anything but.

Gene stepped fully into the room and closed the door.

"Not sorry are ya?" he asked, closing the gap between them ready to embrace her if she gave him the nod.

Taking in Gene's concerned frown Alex moved to ease his worries, standing up to meet his embrace.

"No of course I'm not sorry" She said tightening her arms around him.

Gene cupped her face in his hands and moved to kiss her slowly deepening it as their hands began to roam, the sound of the door opening made them jump apart, it was Viv who gave them both a knowing look before starting to speak.

"Guv there's a DCI Gerrard to see you, he says he's DCI Carnegie's replacement at Fenchurch West and he's got a case he needs to discuss with you urgently…He's waiting in your office."

"Thanks Skip" Gene replied "C'mon then Bolly work to do…the fun stuff will have to wait til later." He said making sure Viv was out of earshot and giving her bottom a gentle slap as she brushed past him out of the file room.

DCI Gerrard was pleasant featured man in his fifties, of average build his hair was grey and thinning. As Alex and Gene entered his office Gerrard stood to greet them both with an enthusiastic handshake.

"Pleased to meet you DCI Hunt and DI Drake…My name is DCI Samuel Gerrard, I'll be over at Fenchurch West on a temporary basis until a suitable candidate can be found to replace former DCI Carnegie….dreadful business that…."

Alex felt a jolt of recognition at the DCI's name but she couldn't place where she heard it before.

"DCI Gerrard have we met before?" Alex inquired still trying to place the name.

"I certainly feel we have…I've heard so much about you, I'm glad to see you're fit and well after…" Gerrard tailed off not wanting to mention the circumstances of Alex's shooting as he could sense Gene's discomfort at the subject.

"So DCI Gerrard what can we do for ya?" Gene said cutting in and signalling that he wanted to get on with business.

"Right…Yes…Well we have received intelligence that a major shipment of heroin is due to arrive on our patch in the next couple of weeks, but we don't know where and we don't know when…yet! We do know that the name Arthur Layton has been mentioned and, given your department's previous encounters with Layton, I thought it might be an idea for us to pool our resources. I've already requested Layton's file and I was hoping that maybe you could spare DI Drake for a couple of hours to come with me and brief my team. It really would be most appreciated DCI Hunt." Gerrard finished with a pleading smile.

Gene wasn't thrilled at the prospect of having Alex out of his sight for any length of time but as he had a meeting with the Chief Super he couldn't go with them.

"Well I suppose so…If DI Drake is O.K with it" Gene said reluctantly.

Alex had been silently reeling since Gerrard mentioned Layton's name but it had explained the missing file and perhaps why Layton had called her after over a year of silence.

"Er…Yes…Happy to help" Alex finally said managing a weak smile for DCI Gerrard.

"Good! Right…Off yer go then…See ya later" Gene said unenthusiastically, ushering Alex and Gerrard out of his office.

It was a short walk to Gerrard's car and Alex had passed the time with small talk but the familiarity of his name was still bugging her.

"I feel I've heard your name before…but I just can't remember where" Alex said quizzically.

"It's possible I suppose that you could have…I'm sure it will come to you" Gerrard answered, somewhat enigmatically Alex thought.

The car journey was passed with Alex recounting her dealings with Arthur Layton in 1981…omitting any references to her encounter with him in 2008. Gerrard let her talk merely nodding occasionally in acknowledgement as they arrived at Fenchurch West and he led her through the corridors to CID. Alex met the team there and told them all she could that might be helpful in apprehending Arthur Layton if he had indeed returned, the only proof being the mention of his name in connection with the drug shipment from a semi-reliable snout. Gerrard thanked her for her time and Alex noted with alarm that it was nearly 3 p.m which meant that she had been there for almost four hours. Gene must be getting bad tempered by now, she thought, but at least it would mean he wasn't going around grinning like a Cheshire cat anymore. Just as she was about to leave DCI Gerrard insisted on accompanying her to the door.

"It's been a pleasure to have you here with us Alex...you know there is always a place for you here if things are…shall we say awkward with DCI Hunt." He said giving her a knowing glance.

"I'm not sure what you mean." Alex said alarmed.

Gerrard smiled and said "The offers there anyway."

And with that Alex left in an even more confused state than she had arrived in.

As Alex had predicted Gene was in a sour mood by the time she arrived back at her desk. He noted her arrival and leaned out of the door of his office.

"In here Bolly" he growled as he waited for her to get through the door then closed and locked it behind her and pulled down the blind.

"I'm sor…" Alex didn't have chance to get the apology out before Gene made an assault on her lips, kissing her with a desperate passion and holding her tightly to him. When he did eventually allow her to come up for air he had a wild expression, as if he feared that if he let her go now she might disappear before his very eyes. Then he seemed to collect himself and taking a deep breath he released her from his hold.

"Have fun with DCI Gerrard did ya?" he asked sarcastically.

Alex glared at him, still recovering from the force of his kisses and wondering why he had reacted in such a way after so short an absence. She decided to try and steer things back to a more professional footing.

"I told them what I could about Layton but they haven't really got much to go on. His name has been mentioned but the informant isn't exactly reliable apparently." she said, sighing impatiently.

"Layton's scum. If he is back in town the Gene Genie will find him…don't need Gerrard's help to sniff that rat out." Gene said defiantly.

Alex excused herself on the pretext of needing to use the toilet but in truth she felt uncomfortable in Gene's presence. His affections had been quite overpowering and she felt as she imagined a gazelle would when being eyed by a hungry lion. Shaz passed her on the way out and shouted after her.

"Ma'am someone rang for you earlier…they left a message."

"Thanks Shaz" Alex said waiting to receive the scribbled note from her.

She took herself off into the Ladies and entered the nearest cubicle locking the door behind her; letting out a heavy sigh she unfolded the note and began to read…

_Looks like I missed you today Alex but don't worry there's always tomorrow. _

No name had been left, not that Alex needed one the message had Layton written all over it. She felt sick again and her head was pounding. As she slowly massaged her temples it suddenly hit her where she had heard the name Samuel Gerrard before - he was her surgeon in 2008! Alex gasped in shocked realisation. How could she have forgotten such an important thing? Her mind had been so full of what was happening with Gene she was losing sight of everything else and it chilled her to the bone to think that it might be her closeness to him that was keeping her trapped in this world after all.

Alex knew she couldn't avoid Gene forever, and she couldn't stay locked in the toilets indefinitely, so she slowly made her way back to her desk. To her relief Gene had vacated his office in her absence and was nowhere in sight as she slumped down in her seat.

"You alright Ma'am?" Chris asked, concerned as he called over from his desk.

"I'm feeling a bit rough actually Chris." Alex said rubbing at her head. "Where's the Guv?" she asked wanting to know how long she would have before facing him again.

"Him and Ray have gone to interview a witness, shouldn't be too long" Chris replied.

Alex nodded her head was starting to spin now and the sickly feeling was overpowering her. She made as if to stand up but the floor was swaying beneath her and she felt herself falling as the room went black.

_Alex? Can you hear me Alex? _

_My name is Samuel Gerrard _

_I'm your surgeon Alex _

_You went into a deeper coma after beating that infection and you had us worried for a while but it looks like things are finally back on track. _

_You will soon be back with us Alex. _

The voice faded as another more familiar one cut in…

"BOLLY…BOLLY….BOLS" Gene was shouting frantically and shaking her quite vigorously, Alex's eyes flickered into focus taking in his panicked expression and the fear in his eyes.

"Thank God!" Gene said relieved as he saw Alex open her eyes.

Alex was checked over at the hospital on Gene's insistence but was found to be just tired and faint from missing breakfast and lunch. Then Gene took her back to Luigi's. He wanted her to go straight up to her flat to rest but she insisted on going into the restaurant to eat dinner.

"I'm better now" she insisted, feeling like a black fog had lifted, she felt bad for being suspicious of Gene's motives earlier, it seemed she was on track to get home after all and, if time with him was running out, she wanted to make every second count. Alex devoured her dinner like it was her last meal and she couldn't wait to feast on Gene in a similar fashion.

"I'd feel better if you would go and lie down." Gene said still fretting over her health.

"So would I." Alex said waggling her eyebrows suggestively at him.

"I didn't mean that…you need rest." Gene said reproachfully.

"Well you'll just have to do all the work then." Alex said grinning determined not to let him off the hook.

Realising that she wasn't going to be satisfied until she got what she wanted - and secretly thankful for it - Gene got up and held his hand out to her.

"C'mon then Bol's lets get you to bed" he said grinning, leaving Luigi looking on with a grin of his own while listening to Louis Armstrong on the radio…

_Give me a kiss to build a dream on  
And my imagination will thrive upon that kiss  
Sweetheart, I ask no more than this  
A kiss to build a dream on__'re true_

Give me a kiss before you leave me  
And my imagination will feed my hungry heart  
Leave me one thing before we part  
A kiss to build a dream on

When I'm alone with my fancies...Ill be with you  
Weaving romances...making believe they

Give me your lips for just a moment  
And my imagination will make that moment live  
Give me what you alone can give  
A kiss to build a dream on

When I'm alone with my fancies...Ill be with you  
Weaving romances...making believe they're true

Give me a kiss to build a dream on  
And my imagination will thrive upon that kiss  
Ah sweetheart, I ask no more than this  
A kiss to build a dream on

_Lyrics and music by Rogers and Hammerstein. _


	7. Chapter 7

No Place Like Home – Chapter 7

Unbeta'd so all mistakes are mine alone!

Again thanks for reading and reviewing xx

***************************************

Christmas 1982 was looming on the horizon and the season of goodwill was in evidence everywhere even in CID the decorations had been dusted off for another year. Shaz was busying herself with attempts to stick tinsel to the edges of everyone's desks.

"Need a hand Baby?" Chris stepped forward ready to assist but was stopped in his tracks by Gene bursting out of his office.

"What is this bloody Blue Peter…In the car everyone NOW." He commanded as Chris, Ray and Alex grabbed their jackets and scurried after him.

"What is it Guv?" Alex inquired as she caught up to him on the stairs.

"A body's been found, woman in her sixties, looks like she was shot in the head" Gene explained as they piled into the Quattro.

"Has the victim been I.D'd?" Alex inquired.

"Names Alma Layton" Gene said expectantly.

"What!" Alex gasped in shock it was days since Arthur Layton had last tried to call her and had left a message with Shaz, she had fully expected that he would ring the next day but there was no call…maybe he was going to communicate in another way.

"Yes she's Arthur Layton's Mother…not much else to go on at the moment, next door neighbour was woken by a loud bang in the early hours of the morning, then the milkman delivering Ma Layton's daily pinta finds her front door ajar, looks in to see if everything is O.K and sees her lying there in the hallway." Gene explained.

"Has DCI Gerrard been informed?" Alex asked knowing his interest in Layton.

"The call came through to us Bolly, lets see what's what before we bring in the cavalry shall we?" Gene replied sharply.

Alex narrowed her eyes and gave him a look but didn't argue any further.

They pulled up outside a row of small terraced houses where a crowd of local people had started to gather, Gene directed the arriving police constables to keep everyone back as he and his team entered the property. A cursory glance at Alma Layton's body showed a single bullet wound to the head which caused Alex to shudder at the similarity to her own shooting in 2008.

"Right then lets see if anyone can tell us whodunit" Gene said "Me and Bolly will go and talk to Mrs Harris the neighbour who heard the gunshot…You two make a start on the rest" he directed Ray and Chris.

"Yes Guv." They echoed in unison.

"You alright Bol's? You looked like you'd seen a ghost back there." Gene asked concerned.

"Yes..It's just…" Alex replied falteringly.

"I know." Gene said recalling all she had told him about her future dealings with Arthur Layton.

Gene knocked loudly on the neighbouring door and it was quickly opened by a stout woman in her seventies, she was leaning on a walking stick for support but looked like a formidable character in every other respect.

"Hello Mrs Harris, I'm DCI Hunt and this is DI Drake can we come in?" Gene held out his warrant card for reassurance.

"It's no use flashing that I can't see a thing without me glasses" She said ushering them in. "Poor Alma…It's been a nasty shock" Mrs Harris gestured for them to take a seat.

"I'm sure it has Mrs Harris. Alex said sympathetically "Shall I make us all a nice cup of tea?" she said in a soothing manner.

"Sod the tea! I need a brandy to steady me nerves" Mrs Harris said hoisting herself us towards her sideboard and pouring herself a large measure, though none was offered to her guests.

"Right…O.K then" Gene continued the lack of hospitality testing his patience. "Can you tell us exactly what you heard last night?"

"Well I went to bed at about 11 o'clock last night and I was straight off to sleep then next thing I'm woken up by a loud bang I put the light on and saw it was just turned half one in the morning, I got out of bed and looked out my bedroom window to see what caused that bang but I couldn't see anything then I checked downstairs but there was nothing so I went back to bed and thought no more about it…Until this morning when I heard Mr Clarence the milkman screaming blue murder!"." Mrs Harris said.

"Can you think of anyone who would want to harm Mrs Layton?" Gene inquired.

"No…I mean what sort of person would do a thing like that?" Mrs Harris said sadly.

"What about her son?" Alex inquired.

"Who?…Arthur? Slippery as a butchers whatnot that one! There was certainly no love lost between them I can tell you that…But no I haven't seen him round here for years." Mrs Harris stated with certainty.

"So Arthur and his Mother didn't get on then?" Alex tried to dig deeper.

"Lets just say Alma once told me it was the worse days work she ever did giving birth to him. He was a nasty piece of work took after his old man…Alma was well rid of the pair of 'em" Mrs Harris replied. "She found out about Arthur's shady deals and told him to sling his hook for good that was about four years ago."

Gene stood up to leave "Right then Mrs Harris thanks for your help, we'll be in touch if there's anything else."

Alex let out an exasperated sigh as Gene rounded up the troops and they made their way back to the station.

"****************************************

Alex was reviewing the statements that Ray and Chris had taken earlier but as with what Mrs Harris had been able to tell them it was all pretty vague and inconclusive. It appeared that Mrs Layton had been widowed for years, her husband Arthur Layton Senior having died after a pub brawl, Arthur Junior had been 11 years old at the time. She had few friends to speak of and no known enemies and her relationship with her son had seemingly broken down a few years ago, as Mrs Harris had told them. Alex glanced over to see if Gene was busy and noted he was talking on the phone in an animated fashion he slammed down the receiver his face set in an angry pout, Alex got up to see what the matter was.

"Gene?" She tentatively stepped into his office the newfound intimacy between them didn't stop her treading carefully where his ever changing moods were concerned.

"That were DCI Gerrard tearing me a strip off for not letting him know about Alma Layton sooner… Mr High and Bloody Mighty…" Gene tailed off his temper not responding well to any rebukes and certainly not one from an officer of equal rank.

"Well I did say" Alex immediately regretted her 'I told you so' as she met Gene's fierce glare.

"Thank you Miss Smug Knickers." Gene said curtly at which despite his mood Alex couldn't help but chuckle, he found he couldn't maintain his grumpy façade as her smile was infectious.

"How's about I take you out later?…Somewhere nice" Gene asked with a hopeful smile.

"Anywhere… As long as you're there I'm not bothered where we go." Alex said giving him a loving glance.

"O.K!" Gene replied. "Put yer best knickers on though!" he said grinning.

Alex was giggling as Shaz's voice cut in…

"Phone for you Ma'am"

"Thanks Shaz" Alex said moving to take the call.

"Ding dong the witch is dead!" The voice at the other end of the line said.

"What do you want?" Alex snapped.

"Someone once said 'Life being what it is, we dream of revenge' what do you dream about Alex?" Layton didn't wait for her to reply as the phone line went dead.

Alex slammed the receiver down and was startled to find Gene suddenly standing behind her.

"Everything alright Bolly?" He asked.

Alex was in turmoil she felt it was time to tell Gene about the calls from Layton, especially now he could be a suspect in his Mothers murder, but she knew Gene would be angry and hurt that she had concealed them from him; she felt it was a betrayal after everything they had just been through together and she mentally rebuked herself for being so stupid.

"Gene I…." Alex was saved from explaining herself by Shaz alerting Gene to a call from the Chief Superintendent; he rushed in his office to answer it closing the door firmly behind him.

Gene came out of his office soon after and said he had to go out for a while but was evasive as to where exactly he would be going; making clear his DI was in temporary charge in his absence. Alex returned to browsing through the statements although her mind was still occupied by when and how she should tell Gene about the calls from Layton. She tried to focus on what was important, there had to be a reason why he had come back into her life again and especially at this time with the arrival of DCI Samuel Gerrard who just happened to have the same name as her future surgeon. The most recent message from home had said that she would soon be waking up and she hadn't told Gene about that either…How could she when she knew he didn't want her to leave. Alex put her head in her hands feeling momentarily defeated by the impossible nature of the situation. She was suddenly snapped out of her agonies by a voice addressing her…

"DI Drake could I have a word? In private"

It was DCI Gerrard Alex invited him into Gene's office and closed the door.

"I'm afraid DCI Hunt is out of the office at present." Alex began.

"I came to see you anyway Alex I got the impression the other day that you were holding something back about your dealings with Arthur Layton" Gerrard said with a tone of certainty.

Alex was confused and alarmed "I'm not sure I know what you mean." She said falteringly.

"You know you can trust me Alex if there is something…" Gerrard replied giving her a sympathetic look.

Alex didn't know why but she felt she should tell him about the calls from Layton it was a relief to talk about them to someone even if she did still feel that someone should have been Gene. Gerrard listened in silence offering no rebukes for her concealment of the calls in fact he gave no response, it was as if he knew what she was going to say before she said it.

"I intend to tell DCI Hunt at the earliest opportunity" Alex concluded.

"I had hoped that DCI Hunt wouldn't prove an obstacle, his failure to inform me about Mrs Layton was an oversight I'm sure but I know I can rely on you to do the right thing Alex." Gerrard was once again talking in riddles she thought. "You know you are stronger than you think and I know that when the time comes you will be able to do what must be done… My team will take over the inquiry in Mrs Layton's death and don't worry Alex… DCI Hunt has been informed." He finished talking and opened the door to leave, Alex was still trying to process what he had just said but he was gone before she could formulate a response to any of it.

Gene returned to the station just as everyone was packing up ready to go home he was in a pensive mood he had been informed about DCI Gerrard's team taking over the Alma Layton murder case but he was strangely detached about it when Alex had expected his temper to flare in fact Gene seemed very distracted, she recalled he had left after a call from the Chief Superintendent and he had also had a meeting with him a couple of days ago. She wondered if she should ask him about it but it didn't seem like he was ready to talk about it yet, whatever it was and she could hardly reproach him for keeping secrets with her own weighing around her neck like a heavy chain. Gene had gone to sit at his desk and looked deep in thought as he swirled a large scotch around. The office had now emptied apart from the Guv and his DI.

"Still want to go out tonight?" Alex asked from the doorway snapping Gene out of his reverie.

"Sorry Bol's I'd forgotten about that." Gene said apologetically but still looking distracted. "

"It's alright I'm not sure I feel up to it tonight anyway." Alex replied feeling relieved she wasn't sure a posh dinner was the answer to her present dilemma and now wasn't the time to tell him about Layton's calls either not when he was preoccupied with matters unknown. "Well I think I'll call it a night then…" Alex stopped short of asking Gene if he was going to come with her, they had spent every night together for the past week and wonderful as it had been she thought given their present moods it might do them both good to have a bit of breathing space. Gene didn't respond at first but as she moved to leave called after her…

"Stay."

Alex was torn she felt she should leave but found she didn't really want to and as Gene came up behind her pulling her to him and kissing her neck she was lost. He pulled her into his office and locked the door, swiftly pulling down the blinds as he gently guided Alex over to sit on his lap kissing her all the while. The kisses became more passionate as they tugged at each others clothing, soon Gene had unbuttoned her blouse revealing her lacy white bra he began kissing the exposed part of her breasts as Alex had discarded his tie and undone his shirt, she now turned her attention to his trousers, undoing the belt and button then pulling down the zip. Gene was happy that Alex had chosen today to wear a skirt and was even happier to find her wearing stockings and suspenders, he slid his hand between her thighs to discover her knickers were already damp, he threaded his fingers in to feel her slick heat making her moan with pleasure. Alex had released his erection and she moved to lower herself onto him when he stopped her and instead moved to stand while gently removing her blouse, bra and knickers and positioning her over his desk. He entered her from behind with one swift motion causing them both to cry out with the overwhelming sensation of it, and slowly at first he began to move in her caressing her breasts as he did so. She gripped the edge of his desk crying out with the ecstasy of it as he plunged faster and deeper into her moving his hand to work her most sensitive part to near its tipping point. He was grunting with the effort of holding back as she felt the wave of orgasm crash over her taking him with her as he gently rested against her back kissing her hair. Gene slowly pulled himself upright and offered Alex his hand as he brought her into his arms tenderly kissing her.

"I've wanted to do it like that…with you… For such a long time…Hope you didn't mind." He said quite bashfully between kisses.

Alex moved to look deep into his eyes. "No I certainly DID'NT mind." She said smiling.

Both were lost in their own thoughts as they tightly embraced each other Alex knowing that she would have to tell Gene the truth and quickly and Gene formulating a plan in his mind, there were things he needed to tell Alex and something he needed to ask her.

For tonight they would both keep their secrets as they straightened their clothing and headed over to Luigi's. The storm was coming though and things were going change forever…Nothing could stop it now.


	8. Chapter 8

No Place Like Home - Chapter 8

Unbeta'd so all mistakes are mine!

Should probably repeat that I don't own anything of Ashes to Ashes or Life On Mars...Just love them to bits!

As always thanks for reading/reviewing xx

*****************************************

It was Saturday 18th December one week exactly until Christmas Day which meant CID were bogged down with robberies, burglaries, muggings and drink related assaults, the season of goodwill evidently didn't mean much amongst the criminal fraternity. Gene had been acting very mysteriously he had still said nothing to Alex about the subject of his meetings with the Chief Super and she hadn't told him about her contact with Arthur Layton or the messages that had been coming through from 'home' telling her she would soon be returning there.

Alex had another such dream that very morning she had heard the voice of Samuel Gerrard calling to her…

"_Alex I know you can here me_

_It's time Alex_

_I am doing everything I can_

_Now all you have to do is wake up."_

She had woken with a start to see Gene lying next to her softly snoring and looking quite peaceful after he had spent much of the night tossing and turning in fitful slumbers. It was still early and as they didn't have to be at the station for hours yet Alex considered waking him but he had been so troubled the last couple of days she decided it was best to let him rest. She knew he was building up to telling her something and that whatever it was it was causing him a lot of anguish, but she hadn't pushed for explanations because she was keeping secrets of her own and as she felt that time here with Gene was running out she selfishly wanted to make the most of it. Telling him about her contact with Layton and the messages from the future would just upset the applecart and she couldn't face having the beautiful lie, this dream shattered just yet. The thing was everything about Gene seemed so real to her from the way he felt and the things he said through to how he was constantly surprising her like his reaction last night when she had gone down on him desperate to taste him. He had been quite shocked at first making a quip about how he thought only prossies did stuff like that and he had been quite uncomfortable to begin with only slowly relaxing into it and when he hadn't been able to stop himself coming in her mouth he'd looked a bit ashamed until she had assured him that she'd enjoyed it and that he tasted delicious but still he didn't seem sure about the whole experience and that surprised Alex as she had thought that he would be no stranger to such things or at least would have welcomed it with enthusiasm when it was offered. It was because he had become so real to her that she hadn't been able to deny her feelings for him any longer and the more she accepted how she felt the less sense it had made to keep him at arms length but now as she faced the prospect of having to leave him forever it felt like her very heart was being slowly ripped out. It maddened her that she was still trying to figure out if this world was real or just a dream but either way her leaving it wouldn't hurt any less if it all disappeared when she awoke or if it carried on without her in it.

Her mind drifted to Christmas although she had no enthusiasm for it here and had not bothered to decorate the flat or buy presents. She tried to recall how it had been for her as a child in 1982 but found she remembered nothing much other than a feeling of loneliness and sadness. It had been the second Christmas without her parents and Evan, as always, had done his best to make it special for her but it was a hollow experience it was only after Molly was born that Alex had started to regain some enthusiasm for the season, seeing it through her daughters eyes had brought back some of the old magic and she'd even found herself looking forward to it then. She had to hold onto her thoughts of Molly, there had been times when it had seemed that she was so far away it was as if she was disappearing altogether but Molly needed her as she had needed her own mother and Alex knew she wouldn't let her down. However in that moment as Gene stirred beside her in his sleep she also knew that were it not for Molly she would have been content to stay here with him forever, real or not. Tears stung at her eyes as she reached out to gently put her arms around Gene needing to feel him close and hear his heartbeat but the closer she got to him the more it felt he was slipping away, her tears were falling fast when Gene awoke.

"Bolly what's up?" He asked alarmed to find her so distressed.

She couldn't answer so she just kissed him and hoped he would make her forget her torment with his response…and he did taking her with such intense passion her mind lost any semblance of coherent thought.

*************************************************

Alex was so lost in reverie of what had happened that morning that she failed to notice that here at her desk in the early afternoon the phone was ringing, it was Shaz shouting over that alerted her to the situation and she quickly picked up the receiver…

"Hello DI Drake speaking" she said quite breathlessly.

"Alex its Samuel Gerrard…The time is close at hand…You can do it Alex." The line went dead.

"DCI Gerrard?" Alex asked desperately not knowing if she was connected to the present or the future, she replaced the receiver and put her head in her hands and didn't hear Gene approaching.

"Wake up Bol's! Get your coat we're going out." He said brooking no arguments.

"Where are we going?" Alex inquired trying to catch up to him as he strode through the corridors his coat flowing behind him.

"Somewhere we can talk." He said not stopping to look her way.

Fear shot through her as she wondered what it was he had been keeping from her now it looked like he was finally ready to share, and she knew she had to share her secrets with him too. This time it really felt like she was close to leaving in a way it never had when her parents had died or after Martin Summers death, she owed him the truth no matter how painful.

They reached the car park but Gene steered her away from getting into the Quattro.

"We're going to Luigi's, the restaurants closed but he is opening up just for us." Gene explained as they took the short walk over there.

Luigi had set a table just for them and the room looked quite beautiful lit by fairy lights, the tinsel and glittery decorations catching the reflection of the candlelight and twinkling. There was a bottle of Champagne chilling in an ice bucket on the table and two flutes next to it. Alex was starting to feel very nervous as they sat down and Gene began to talk.

"I was planning on taking you somewhere posh…But in the end I thought here would be more fitting…" Gene was struggling he knew what he wanted to say but actually saying it was another matter.

Alex tried to cut in fearing what was about to come. "Gene…"

But it was as if he didn't hear her as he gathered his determination and continued. "I've had a lot of disappointments in my life, some I suppose I should take the blame for others…Well…When I got married I did it out of obligation she were pregnant and I accepted my responsibilities, I'd be lying if I said I loved her but times being what they were I did my duty…Anyway she had a miscarriage soon after…"

Alex reached over to take his hand her eyes full of sympathy but he wanted to plough on.

"Doctor said it can happen sometimes and nobody knows why and there were no reason not to try again…So we did and it happened again and again…In the end the Doctors found out she had something wrong with her and she would never be able to carry a baby to full term. We tried to be happy together but it was a charade and the more the years went by the worse it got, in the end I couldn't blame her for wanting out…I wouldn't have left her though…It wasn't her fault. Then there is my career with the police force...I haven't always been the copper I wanted to be…should have been. There were times I felt I wasn't fit to carry that badge and other times when the burden of carrying it was almost too much but I wouldn't have wanted to do anything else and now…I've been promoted I got the official nod the other day…You're now looking at Detective Superintendent Gene Hunt!" Alex's eyes widened with shock. "I wasn't looking for it… I suppose it were overdue in some ways but I got the impression it was my reward for not kicking up a fuss over Operation Rose…Anyway it's effective from the new year. I'll have to tell the others soon but I wanted you to know first…" Gene let out a heavy sigh and his face took on an expression of anxiety as he looked like he was summoning all his strength in the effort of continuing. "Alex I never thought…not really that you and me would…Well I'd given up hope I think…I'm no good with this sort of thing…feelings and emotions…I suppose I hoped you'd just know…" At that point Gene reached into his inner coat pocket and pulled out a small ring box and slid it over to Alex who was sitting open mouthed in shock her mind in turmoil, she felt she should say something and put a stop to this but she felt unable to speak or move, Gene continued taking in her mute response. "I can give you a good life Alex, Sam set me up with some good investments before he died…told me what was going to do well in the future and I listened…Just thought he had a knack for it…Anyway I've got enough to buy us a nice house, three bedrooms at least… one for us, one for spare and maybe even one for…..I don't want to rush you though, think it over…take your time." He finished trying to make it all sound so casual and gave her a tight smile as he waited for her to reply.

Alex felt sick she knew he didn't want her to leave…but she hadn't been expecting this. He really had only been hearing what he wanted to and she was partly to blame for not setting him straight if she had told him earlier about Layton and Gerrard and the messages from the future maybe things wouldn't have come to this.

"Aren't you at least going to look at it?" Gene asked her gesturing to the ring box. She picked it up with shaking hands and slowly opened it, inside was the most exquisite diamond engagement ring she had ever seen, it was gorgeous and it must have cost a small fortune. Alex thought it couldn't have been more perfect for her if she had picked it herself. She drew a deep breath as she battled with her emotions, trying to stay strong and say what had to be said.

"It's beautiful." She said putting the ring back on the table "But I can't marry you Gene…I thought you understood that I couldn't promise you anything…I told you the truth about myself and I thought you'd listened…that you believed me this time. I have to leave…Molly needs me and I can't forget that, not after I lost my own Mother…I'd have given anything to have her back…She couldn't come back but I can and I must. I do love you Gene and if I could stay with you I would…but I can't." Alex's voice began to crack with emotion as she struggled in vain to hold back the tears.

"You could be here for years though…You said so yerself…I mean you've been here for nearly a year and half already." Gene wasn't giving up so easily.

"I've had messages from my surgeon in 2008…His name is Samuel Gerrard…Like DCI Gerrard…I've also had calls from Arthur Layton and I think things are finally moving…I think after all these months of waiting and hoping I am really going home this time…I'm so SO sorry I didn't tell you about all this sooner but I knew you didn't want me to leave…I suppose I just didn't realise how much you wanted me to stay either." Alex finished speaking and glanced over at Gene he looked crestfallen his eyes filled with sadness as he met her gaze.

"You still don't think I'm real though do ya?" He said slowly and deliberately.

"What?" Alex was taken unawares by his question.

"Well if something's not real it doesn't matter does it?" He said with increasing bitterness.

"Gene…" Alex couldn't bear the way things were going but Gene's armour plating was descending and his anger was rising.

"That's it then is it? You WAKE UP and I just disappear in a puff of smoke! You know I did try to understand…But you're leaving me with nothing here…NOTHING…But then I suppose that's what I really am to you…In the end…Nothing." He spat the last part out at her and got up sending his chair crashing to the ground as he started to leave without looking back.

"NO GENE!…PLEASE!…" Alex shouted after him in desperation her sobs coming think and fast.

She made after him as fast as she could running up the steps from Luigi's and staggering out onto the street all the while gasping for breath between sobs, but it was as if he had vanished she continued along the street calling his name but he was gone. She came to rest near an alleyway and in her distressed state was completely unaware of the interested eyes that had been following her, she had her hands to her face trying to stifle her sobs when a voice from directly behind her made her jump.

"Ello Alex!… Nice to see you again." She moved to get away at the sound of Layton's whispering tones next to her ear but he grabbed her tightly smothering her face with a cloth, she felt the world around her start to spin as she struggled but her muffled screams went unheard as she succumbed slumping in Layton's arms. He bundled her into his waiting van.

"Happy dreams Alex." He said with a sneering laugh as he drove off.


	9. Chapter 9

No Place Like Home – Chapter 9

Unbeta'd again so all mistakes are mine!

Thanks for reading/reviewing xx

******************************************************

Sergeant Viv James was looking forward to the end of his shift it had been a gruelling day at the station and with it being a Saturday he couldn't wait to get home as his wife had made it clear he was on a promise that night. It was late afternoon when a ragged looking man in his fifties reeking of cheap booze rolled up at his desk, assuming he was just another vagrant looking for a bed in the cells Viv was keen to move him on.

"Come on now Sir… Out we go this isn't a doss house." He said dismissively.

The man was here for a purpose though and wasn't going anywhere until he had said his piece.

"Excuse me Officer I'm here to report a crime" he continued in a slurred voice "I saw a woman being shoved into the back of a van…dark blue Ford…Then again she could just have been drunk…" he finished with a hiccup.

"Right thank you…we'll look into it" Viv said trying to usher the man out.

"Pretty lady she was….long brown wavy hair…white leather jacket…" the tramp explained.

Viv stopped in recognition of the description…It couldn't be DI Drake could it? He told the man to sit and wait as he rushed to CID, spotting Ray he called over to him.

"Ray where's DI Drake?" Viv asked with urgency.

"Dunno she went out with the Guv ages ago...He's probably slipping her one…Why?" Ray replied.

Viv was just about to explain when Gene walked in behind them alone.

"Guv is DI Drake not with you?" Viv asked his unease growing.

"No she bloody isn't with me." He spat his anger flaring.

"This might be nothing…but a tramp has just reported a woman meeting DI Drake's description, being bundled into the back of a van." Viv said hesitantly wary of the Guv's mood.

Gene said nothing his face registering anger, disbelief and fear he stormed off in the direction of the desk with Ray and Viv following closely behind seeking out the tramp in question. He reached into his coat pocket and took out a picture of Alex that had been taken at the party they'd had to celebrate her recovery and held it before the witnesses' eyes.

"Is this the woman you saw?" He said growing increasingly frantic.

"Yes that's her…Pretty lady...She might just have been drunk though." The tramp answered but Gene didn't hear beyond confirmation that it was indeed Alex his thoughts were in turmoil, angry as he was that she had rebuffed his proposal he couldn't bear to think of her being hurt by anyone.

"Guv? What do we do?" Ray asked taking in Gene's worried expression.

"C'mon lets round up the troops" Gene growled as he marched into action.

***********************************************

Alex blinked her head felt thick and fuzzy and she was disorientated as she tried to move she found her hands had been bound behind her back and her legs were bound around her ankles. She was lying on a pile of dirty blankets surrounded by cardboard boxes and crates, the room was poorly lit but it looked like some sort of garage there was a smell of engine oil and she could just make out a dark blue Ford Transit Van parked further back. She couldn't see where Layton was but she could feel his ominous presence as he began to speak the direction of his voice coming from somewhere behind her.

"Wakey wakey Alex Drake." He said in a creepy manner.

"What do you want Layton?" Alex tried to stay strong but her voice was shaking, she tried to pull herself upright but the bindings were making it difficult for her move she just about managed to get into a seated position with the help of the crates to lean on.

"I'm going away Alex…Far away…Couldn't leave without saying goodbye now could I?" She didn't answer, Layton kept out of sight as she looked around to try and see where he was as his voice kept changing location behind her, he continued…

"Thought I was never going to get you to myself…Who's been a naughty girl then? Sleeping with the boss…" He laughed "Can't be easy for a woman to get promoted in the police force…**DI** Drake…bet you had to polish a few batons for that one." Layton said with relish,

"What's all this all about Arthur?" Alex inquired trying to make some sense of what was happening.

"What's this all about?...Don't you know Alex?...Thought you'd seen the future…So you should know what happens next shouldn't you?" Layton sneered. "It's time."

"Time for what?." Alex asked.

"Time to die!" Layton replied emotionlessly.

"NOOO!" Alex shouted desperately "I'm supposed to wake up…I'm supposed to go home…You BASTARD!" She screamed with hatred.

"You ruined my life Alex…I was doing well I had an empire…And now to be reduced to this…You made me into the man I am today…and this is your reward." Layton spat out.

"So you killed your Mother and now it's my turn…I suppose she ruined your life too? When are YOU going to accept that YOU are responsible for all this Arthur? Alex said.

"Let me tell you about my Mother?" Layton shouted his anger rising she could hear him pacing about behind her but he was far enough away to remain out of sight, then he suddenly stopped pacing and she heard a click like the sound of a gun being cocked and all she could think was 'No not again.' Then he seemed to stop taking a deep breath and began in a quiet voice…

"I went to see her…Say goodbye…She told me she was dying…Brain tumour the doctors said…Begged me to help her she did…Said the headaches were killing her…Send me to a better place Arthur she said."

"So you shot her in the head!" Alex said with disbelief.

"Worked though didn't it? Fancy joining her?" Layton said with a chilling laugh.

Then when it seemed all was lost there was a muffled sound of voices getting closer and louder.

"Shit!" Layton muttered as he bounded over to where Alex was slumped and took out a knife, she gasped but he only proceeded to cut her ankle binding, pulling her up onto her feet and pushing a gun against the back of her head.

"Walk! NOW" He ordered her giving her a shove and half dragging her to a small doorway set in the floor.

**************************************************

Gene had set off desperate to find Alex but without any real way of achieving that aim, the information the tramp had given them was vague at best, no registration number for the van and the description of the abductor was minimal "thin and scruffy looking." Was all he could offer, but Gene would have bet his pension that it was Arthur Layton. A call to Fenchurch West and DCI Gerrard's team had left Gene incandescent with rage, it appeared that they had received further intelligence on the drugs shipment and had been given the address of a railway arches lock-up, DCI Gerrard had instructed that no one else be informed while the operation to apprehend the suspected dealers, including Arthur Layton, was in progress. A few choicely worded threats later and Gene had extracted the whereabouts of the lock up from a bewildered DC Felton.

Arriving near the railway arches location of the garage lock-up Gene parked well back out of sight his radio crackled and the voice of DCI Gerrard came through.

"DCI Hunt you are jeopardising this whole operation and the life of DI Drake, I've got it all in hand, go now before its too late."

Gene picked the radio up his temper flaring "I'm going nowhere and if so much as one hair on DI Drake's head is harmed I'll have your bollocks on a block."

"You are too emotionally involved DCI Hunt your presence here isn't helpful." Gerrard continued.

"Bugger that!" Was Gene's response as he got out of the Quattro with Ray and Chris following close behind.

"Which one is it Guv?" Chris asked as they neared the arches trying to keep out of sight.

"Get back you Div" Gene said in a low growl worried that Chris wasn't keeping out of sight.

It was too late though because Layton had been alerted to their presence.

********************************************

"Keep moving." Layton snarled in Alex's ear as they made their way along a narrow underground passageway.

He had the end of the gun barrel pressed firmly to the back of her head as he tried to hurry her along but it was dark and the floor was uneven. Alex felt a protruding piece of the ground and she carefully stepped over it but Layton caught his foot and stumbled forward, a sudden beam of torchlight illuminated the passage enough for Alex to avoid Layton's grasp then she stamped hard on his hand and kicked the gun away from him starting to move as fast as she could towards the light and the now familiar voice of Samuel Gerrard…

"_That's it Alex…You can do it_

_Wake up Alex"_

She was almost there when a thudding noise behind her and raised voices stopped her in her tracks as she heard Gene's familiar growl.

"Where is she? Layton you Bastard." And more thuds as Gene unleashed some of his anger.

"BOLLY…BOL'S" Gene's desperate shouts echoed towards her.

Alex was torn and about to turn around and run to Gene when another voice called out to her…

"Mummy…I need you Mummy…Wake up please."

"Molly?" Alex gasped tears blinding her as the light got brighter and brighter.

Alex slowly blinked the bright light paining her eyes everything before her was blurred and unfamiliar until her vision started to come into focus.

"Welcome back Alex, I knew you could do it." Samuel Gerrard said smiling.

Alex knew him instantly as he looked the same as he had in 1982 as the mystery DCI Gerrard.

"MUMMY!" Molly came forward to kiss and hug her.

"Mol's" Alex reached to embrace her daughter both of them with tears freely flowing.

Alex took comfort from the warm embrace of her daughter but she couldn't stop her thoughts drifting to Gene and all she had left behind and her tears kept flowing.

**************************************************

Had this world always seemed so cold and impersonal? Alex mused as she waited for Evan to arrive at the hospital. It had been over a week since she had awoken from her coma and the doctors felt her recovery would be speedier in familiar surroundings amongst family and friends. After being in a world where technology was still relatively primitive Alex was struck by how much it was taken for granted these days, it seemed everyone was connected to some device or other, communicating electronically but not personally the emotional connections lost somewhere in translation. The other world must have been a dream what else could it have been? There were no messages from that world appearing on her T.V set this time but still she was lost in reverie thinking about Gene and how adrift she felt without him, this world was real it was home but it didn't feel like it.

"Penny for them or should that be a pound now…Inflation and all that!" Evan said breaking into her contemplations.

Alex jumped at his presence she had been so deep in thought she hadn't even noticed him arriving. "Sorry I was a world away." She said sadly, it was then that she thought about asking Evan if he recalled a police officer called Gene Hunt, she had never got the chance to investigate Sam Tyler's case for factual details, the full case notes had only just become available to her before her shooting. She had been looking at Sam's experiences from a purely psychological point of view but she was going to dig deeper to see if there was a factual basis for his imagining's, had there really been a DCI Gene Hunt that maybe Sam Tyler had heard about somewhere on his way through the police force? Alex was torn not knowing which would be worse…to know that Gene was real and was now an old man if still alive at all or to know that he had never existed in the first place. She began tentatively…

"Evan when I was in the coma I had a sort of dream…I dreamt of things that happened when I was a child only from the perspective of myself now as an adult…I saw my parents again and you when you were younger…I found things out…things I must always have known but they were buried so deep I'd never put the pieces together…I saw my parents die again…I was living a life there I was still DI Alex Drake…I had friends…Co-workers that I became close to…Do you remember any of the police officers involved in the investigation into my parents death?" Alex finished talking and looked over at Evan who looked quite troubled by what she had just said.

"It was all such a long time ago…" He finally said as if he was desperate to move off the subject altogether. "Come on let's get your things together and get you home I'm sure you don't want to spend a minute longer in here than you have to." And with that Evan began busying himself signalling the end of the conversation. The nurses had helped Alex to dress and one had fetched a wheelchair ready to escort her out when it was time. If Evan wasn't going to be forthcoming she would just have to do the research herself when she was recovered enough although she wasn't sure what good it would do, but sometimes she reasoned you just needed to know. This was her life and she had been content living it before and she was determined that she would be again and to do that she would have to have some closure on the other world and those who occupied it no matter how painful it might ultimately turn out to be.


	10. Chapter 10

No Place Like Home – Chapter 10

Again Un'beta'd so all mistakes are mine.

Thanks for sticking with it xx Only 2 more chapters after this one.

************************************************

It felt strange being back in her 2008 home as Alex had grown so accustomed to the little flat above Luigi's that her own house, quite small though it was in reality seemed relatively cavernous in comparison. Molly was so happy to have her back though and she was doing everything she could to aid her Mothers recovery, from bringing her meals in bed and sitting and chatting for hours to watching soppy DVD's with her. Alex was trying to get back into the swing of her life but it felt different now and she missed Gene more than she ever thought possible, so much so it was almost a physical pain. The weeks of her recovery passed frustratingly slowly and no one would let her near any work instead insisting that she should just concentrate on getting well, further attempts to question Evan about his recollections of events in 1981 fell on stony ground with him changing the subject as soon as it was raised. Also it seemed the investigation into her shooting by Arthur Layton was going nowhere it was as if he had vanished into thin air afterwards with no clues as to his present whereabouts' and that above all else served to make Alex very anxious, he more than anyone had been responsible for the most significant events in her life and she couldn't shake the feeling that her association with him was not over yet.

It was almost a month after her release from hospital before Alex was feeling up to venturing out anywhere, she was very conscious of the hole in her head left by Layton's bullet, at least when Gene had shot her the wound was well hidden…except of course that never happened there was no scar on her left side now. Evan and Molly wanted to take her out for a special celebratory dinner and she didn't have the heart to refuse although she had woken that morning feeling very queasy just stopping short of actually vomiting, but the nausea had passed and she felt she should really make the effort. The city seemed so chaotic and noisy that Alex felt quite overwhelmed at first there were so many people rushing around and so much traffic it hadn't bothered her before but now it felt like she was seeing things through fresh eyes and she wasn't sure of her place in this world anymore. The restaurant that Evan had chosen was Italian which only added to Alex's discomfort and she struggled to find anything on the menu that didn't conjure of thought's of Luigi's and all the meals she and Gene had shared there. It was during the car journey home that Alex tried to broach the subject of her coma experiences with Evan again.

"I think when I'm up to it I might do a bit of research about what happened in 1981… see if anything I dreamt about was actually true." Alex said nonchalantly.

Evan frowned "Why would you want to go upsetting yourself with all that again? Best to just let sleeping dogs lie." He said dismissively.

"What like Arthur Layton?" Alex said her anger rising.

"I'm sure it's just a matter of time before he's caught." Evan said his eyes gesturing over to Molly who was getting alarmed at the mention of Layton's name. Alex said no more on the subject not wishing to upset her daughter further but the nagging questions about what she had discovered in the other world would not be silenced. Later that evening as Molly went up to bed and Evan was readying himself to leave Alex took the opportunity to confront him again.

"I know the truth now about why my parents died." She said softly.

Evan looked pained "Did Layton tell you?"

"No…Not exactly…I told you in my coma it was as if I was there in 1981 seeing it all again…I found about your affair with Mum and I saw the tape that Dad left behind…I don't blame you for what happened but I think you blamed yourself and that you have been carrying that guilt with you all these years. Well now it's time to let it go…I don't know what would have become of me without your care, protection and love and I can never thank you enough for that. I'd say that whatever debt you thought you owed you've repaid it in full with interest." Alex leant over to embrace Evan who now had tears running freely down his face, she felt terrible for causing him so much distress the information she wanted about Gene could be found another way, for now she just wanted to relieve Evan of the cloud he had been living under.

"We can't change the past we can only learn to live with it and hope the future will give us the time to make amends." Evan said sadly.

Alex felt her eyes filling with tears as they both wept for things lost until exhaustion overtook her and she fell asleep, Evan kissed her head lightly and covered her with a blanket as he left.

_She was standing alone on a rocky beach the sky was grey and stormy and she was dressed in only a white flowing gown that was billowing out behind her in the wind, her hair was whipping around her face as she looked off into the distance she could see a figure approaching on a magnificent white horse, as it galloped closer she could see the man dressed in a open necked white shirt and cream jodhpurs with long brown boots his golden hair tousled by the breeze. _

"_Gene you found me!" She cried as he dismounted and scooped her up in his strong arms claiming her lips in a fervent kiss._

"_We are connected Alex you hold my life within you." He said looking deeply into her eyes._

"_But I've lost you and I can't ever come back" She cried tears wetting her face._

_He kissed her again a kiss full of desire and longing._

"_There is a way and you will know it I'll be waiting for you if you chose to take it" He said kissing her one last time as he mounted the horse and galloped away out of sight._

"_GENE" she called desperately after him but it was too late he was gone._

"Mummy?" Alex woke to see Molly peering down at her with a worried look on her face.

"It's alright Mol's I just fell asleep down here and I suppose Evan didn't want to disturb me." Alex said offering her daughter a reassuring smile.

"You said a name in your sleep…You said that name when you were in hospital too the nurse told me…She asked who it was and if they could visit you and talk to you when you were in the coma, but I didn't know anyone you knew called Gene." Molly explained.

Alex felt the tears pricking at her eyes at the mention of his name and she shuffled along the settee to give Molly room to sit comfortably pulling her into an embrace and softly stroked her hair.

"Mol's do you remember I was looking into the case of a man called Sam Tyler who had been in a coma for a long time?" Alex asked feeling a need to tell Molly about her own coma experiences and more specifically about Gene.

"Yes I read a bit of his file didn't I? He said he didn't know if he was mad or if he had travelled back in time or if he was just in a coma." Molly said recalling the papers she had seen in her mother's car on that fateful day before she was shot.

"Well the thing is Mol's Sam thought after his accident that he had woken up in 1973 and he was living a life there, he was still a policeman and he worked there and found friends there…He even fell in love with someone special during his time there…Anyway while I was in my coma a similar thing happened to me I thought I had woken up in 1981 and I met some of the same people that Sam met and they became my friends… I became very attached to them especially the man who had been Sam's boss…DCI Gene Hunt was his name and he was my Guv too in 1981 and we…I fell in love with him Mol's, I now that must sound crazy now but I loved him so much…I still do. Anyway I always knew I would come home to you when I got the chance…I would never leave you Molly not for anyone…But I miss him." Alex stopped to collect herself wiping the tears from her face as Molly hugged her tightly kissing her wet cheek. They spent the early hours of the morning with Alex recounting her many adventures in the early eighties to her daughter, until Molly felt she had a good picture of Gene, Ray, Chris, Shaz and Luigi and all the other people that inhabited her mother's dreamland. When finally Alex became too tired to continue and the soft light of morning was just coming through the windows she rose to go upstairs to bed gesturing that Molly should do the same as it was a Sunday they could sleep in as long as they wanted, Alex kissed her daughters forehead as they made for their beds.

"I never thought in a million years that Gene Hunt would turn out to be the man of my dreams." She sighed as she reached her bedroom door.

"Maybe you'll dream about him again." Molly said smiling.

Alex wished her daughter goodnight as she fell exhausted onto her bed thinking sadly about the dream she had had earlier that night, Gene had said that there was a way back to him if she chose to take it but how could she? That would surely mean doing what Sam had done and she could never do that to Molly. No he was lost to her forever there was no way back, no way that she was willing to take.

*************************************************

It was early Sunday afternoon when Alex awoke the house was strangely quiet so she went downstairs in search of Molly only to find a note from Evan on the fridge door, it said he had taken Molly to a friends house and they didn't want to wake her as she needed her rest. After calling to check that Molly was alright Alex found that she was wandering about not quite knowing what to do with herself, she found a small thin gift wrapped box that had been sent by one of her friends as a get well present she undid the tape that secured it and shook out the C.D that was inside 'Viva La Vida Or Death and All His Friends' by Coldplay it seemed oddly appropriate Alex thought as she went to put it on to play. She sat down on the settee leaning back with her eyes closed just letting the music fill her head…

Suddenly the ringing of the phone broke through the melody and Alex muted the sound and reached for the receiver.

"You don't belong in this world." The creepily familiar voice of Arthur Layton came through.

"Layton how did you get this number?" Alex questioned angrily.

"We're not finished yet you and me…Ashes to ashes..." Layton finished and the line went dead.

She slumped back down on the settee her mind a whirl of past present and future thoughts to save herself from madness she pressed play on the C.D machine and let herself get lost in the music again.

_[Extract from 42 by Coldplay]_

_Those who are dead are not dead  
They're just living in my head  
And since I fell for that spell  
I am living there as well_

Time is so short and I'm sure  
there must be something more

_Lyrics by Berryman/Buckland/Champion/Martin_

_**********************************************************_

Alex insisted on going into work the next day determined to look through Layton's old files she hadn't told anyone about the call from him because she felt somehow that he was the key to her returning to 1982 and she wasn't ready to let that option go just yet even if rationally she knew she could never take it. Her DCI Rachel Young looked uncomfortable to see her and tried to send her straight back home again reasoning that with the trauma she had just been through it would take time before she was ready for active duty and her colleagues eyed her warily speaking to her as if she had been lobotomised instead of shot in the head. It wasn't exactly the welcome back to work she had been imagining it really was a world away from the warm response she had received on her return to work in 1982. Alex promised to take it easy saying she just wanted a chance to read over some old files and after that she would go back home. She still wasn't sure if she really wanted to know if Gene had ever really existed but the not knowing was killing her too, she hoped to find what she was looking for in the files relating to Layton's arrest in 1981, Gene's name should be there…as should her own if any of it was ever real. She felt nauseous again as she had done for the past few mornings and busied herself in searching out the information she was looking for to try and shake the sickly feeling. Suddenly she began to feel very light-headed and grabbed at a nearby desk to try and stop herself from falling but her legs went from under her as everything faded to black…

_She was sat in a room with a large window looking down on the city of London it was empty but for two comfortable brown leather chairs, she sat on one and a knock at the door signalled the arrival of the person who would occupy the other chair. She shouted "Come in!" and the door slowly opened…_

"_Sam Tyler!" She gasped in recognition as he made his way over to sit down._

"_Hello again Alex" He said in a serious joyless fashion._

"_Why are you here?" She asked._

"_You fell in love with him didn't you?" Sam answered her question with one of his own._

"_Who? Gene?" Alex replied knowing full well who Sam was referring too._

"_Yes…It happened to you like it happened to me with Annie...You let him in and he's still there." Sam explained_

"_But you died Sam…You only got to spend seven years there with Annie." Alex said sadly._

"_No one knows how long they've got… You can still have what you want but you must act quickly before the connection is lost forever." He said emphasising the urgency._

"_No Sam I can't go back I can't do what you did." Alex said distressed._

"_You're way back is not the same as mine but it will be the hardest thing you ever have to do." He said sadly._

"_I can't do it I have Molly" Alex said hopelessly._

"_You can have everything you want you just have to believe it." Sam said getting up and walking to point at the wall behind her._

_She turned to look at the large family portrait that adorned the wall gasping in shock at the image it presented to her…There she was radiating happiness and contentment posing next to Gene whose smile matched her own, he had his arm around a similarly beaming Molly and in her own arms was a baby boy who had her brown hair and his fathers amazing eyes and adorable pout._

"Alex…Alex!" She opened her eyes to see a female paramedic standing over her.

"You gave us a bit of a fright there Alex how are you feeling now?" She asked.

How was she feeling? More confused than ever! If there was a way back to Gene a way she could have Molly with her too would she take it? And what of the portrait Sam had shown her in the dream? Thinking of the sickness that was plaguing her something clicked in her mind it was not unlike the morning sickness she had experienced when she was pregnant with Molly…Of course it could just be related to her head injury but she couldn't forget the words Gene had said in her dream _"You hold my life within you"_ and Sam's words _"You let him in and he's still there"_ If she went back would she be carrying Gene's baby? It occurred to her that they hadn't been using any contraceptives there, maybe that was part of the connection that was pulling her back to him…But that was ridiculous wasn't it? All that happened there was just a dream and she couldn't be pregnant now…Could she?

The doctors checked her over and gave her the all clear she had thought about asking for a pregnancy test but dismissed it as ridiculous…She had just been dreaming nothing more, our minds like to dream up happy endings she reasoned when reality cannot match our fantasies. Her little fainting episode had confirmed her colleague's suspicions that she was unfit to return for active duty anytime soon and even popping in to browse through files was forbidden for the foreseeable future. Later as she laid in bed she found she couldn't stop the image of the dream family portrait from invading her mind, how happy they'd all looked and then there was the baby…hers and Gene's baby…She had always secretly harboured the hope that one day she would find someone special and maybe have another child. She imagined holding her baby son in her arms and rocking him into peaceful slumber with a lullaby as she herself drifted off to sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

No Place Like Home – Chapter 11

Unbeta'd again so all mistakes are my fault!

Hope you have all enjoyed reading this story xx There will just be an Epilogue after this chapter to round things off.

Thanks again to all who have commented either here or on TRA it has meant a lot to me especially with this being my first ever fanfic. *Hugs*

*************************************************

Alex began to feel she was experiencing life like some sort of automaton just going through the motions day by day waiting for something to happen to make her feel truly alive again. It was almost two months since she had awoken from her coma and she was no nearer to unravelling the mysteries of what had happened to her since Arthur Layton had fired that bullet. She felt she was letting her dreams seduce her and that she had only been viewing Gene and the world she had left behind through rose-tinted glasses. It wasn't as if he was perfect…far from it and at times she had wondered if they would ever be able to make a relationship work in the long term. If she concentrated on all the bad things that had happened there maybe she thought, she could break the spell so she conjured up images of all the times Gene had hurt her and of the harsh things he had said and she tried to convince herself that he would find comfort with some Irish trollop once she was out of the picture, but it didn't work her reasoning wouldn't allow it too because she had seen the truth in his eyes in their moments of deepest intimacy, she was his world and she found she could forgive him for everything that had gone before because we often do desperate things when we fear losing that which is most precious to us… 'We always hurt the ones we love the most!'

Getting back into the groove of her life meant picking up on all the old familiar routines from doing the weekly shopping to picking Molly up from school. Alex knew she had to try and find some normality but found she had almost wiled away another day with impossible dreams when she suddenly noticed the time, bursting into a flurry of activity she headed out to her car, she didn't want to be late picking Molly up, not with Arthur Layton still on the loose. Driving as fast as she could whilst still taking due care and was relieved to see Molly waiting at the school gates.

"Sorry Mol's" She called out to her daughter as she was skipping round to the passenger seat.

"Don't worry Mum I was late out anyway…Miss Herron wanted to talk to me about my attitude again!" Molly said rolling her eyes with contempt.

"Oh Mol's you haven't been getting in trouble again have you?" Alex said despairingly recalling her daughter's troubled record at school it had taken all her powers of persuasion to save her from being excluded twice before. Alex feared it was due to her over indulgence and trying to make up for the fact that her father had been so useless that had led Molly to become so headstrong.

"I hate school! That's all." Molly said.

Alex was about to probe deeper when her mobile phone started to ring, she put in her earpiece to answer it.

"Drake!" she said expectantly.

"Tick tock, tick tock." Layton spoke in a cold calculating manner

"What are you talking about?" Alex said her sense of panic rising. She saw a small car park ahead and pulled in waiting for Layton to respond.

"I said we weren't finished yet you and me…Well now we are…_I'm happy hope you're happy to._" He finished with a sneering laugh.

Alex's mind began to flood with thoughts and visions…

"_There is a way back and you will know"_

"_You're way back isn't the same as mine but it will be the hardest thing you ever have to do"_

"_You can still have what you want but you must act quickly before the connection is lost forever"_

"_You can have everything you want you just have to believe it"_

Then the image of the family portrait with herself, Gene, Molly and the baby flashed before her eyes and finally she saw her dad as the clown winking at her sat in the car that was about to….

"OH GOD!" She cried out realising what was about to happen… This was it… If she didn't get out of the car with Molly right now it would be too late, Layton had rigged her car to explode just as he had with her parents.

There was less than a second to make the choice and she cried out in anguish for the fate she was consigning her daughter too…

"FORGIVE ME!"

As she pictured Gene waiting for her and hoped against hope that Molly would make it with her this time.

They felt nothing of the blast that enveloped them as everything faded to black.

***********************************************

"BOLLY! BOLS!" Gene's desperate shouts rang out.

There was an echoing sound of thudding footsteps approaching at speed and raised voices and everything faded into the distance once more.

"Alex can you hear me?" A voice punched through the darkness.

"You've been in a car accident Alex but you're going to be alright." The voice continued.

Alex slowly opened her eyes straining against the bright light and for a moment she remembered nothing of what had gone before.

"I'm Doctor Carter and I'll be taking care of you while you are here." He said smiling.

Alex noted that he was a jolly looking fellow in his forties, quite short and stocky with a shock of curly hair.

"Molly? Where's Molly?" Alex asked with desperate urgency suddenly remembering the horror that had gone before.

Doctor Carter stepped aside to allow Alex to see over to the bed opposite where her daughter was lying asleep.

"Molly will be fine…She has concussion but we are keeping an eye on her…She just needs a bit of rest as do you…Alex did you know that you were pregnant?" He asked.

"What?" Alex gasped did this mean she was back in 1982 and carrying Gene's baby? How else could they have survived a car bomb so relatively unscathed?

"It's still early days you are only about a couple of months along but everything is O.K." The doctor explained.

"What is the date today?" Alex asked to clarify the confusion.

"Don't you know?" The doctor asked concerned as he looked carefully at her head for signs of injury, she shook her head nervously.

"It's the eighteenth of February 1983." He said continuing his examination.

Alex gasped in shock she had been gone from this world for the same amount of time that she had spent in the other, there was no rhyme or reason to it she had been here for months before and only days had passed in the other world and when Sam had jumped to his death there he had ended up back in this world in the instant that he had left it. Her mind continued in a whirl of confusion as she glanced over at Molly she was overcome with guilt for making this choice for the both of them, there was no way back now and although she had her daughter with her as she had hoped she wondered if Molly would ever be able to forgive her. Tears were running down her cheeks as she heard a gruff familiar voice echoing down the hospital corridor.

"Which room is she in?" Gene's voice was filled with desperation.

"Sir please…wait…I need to ask the doctor if it's alright for you to be here." A nurse was trying to placate him unsuccessfully.

"Bugger that!" Was his response as he found the room he was looking for.

He bounded in only to freeze in his tracks at the sight before him struck temporarily dumb in shock.

"Gene!" Alex said quietly, beginning to sob in earnest.

"Are you Mrs Drakes husband?" The doctor inquired of Gene.

"Eh? What?...I'm DCI Gene Hunt" He said confused.

"It's alright" said Alex biting back her sobs "Please give us a moment?" She asked the doctor and he nodded and went out to talk to the nurse.

Gene said nothing at first he just stared at her; he looked hurt and a little bit angry although his resolve seemed to be crumbling at the sight of her distress.

"Where ya been Alex?" He finally said.

"I went home…But I've come back…For good this time…Look Molly is here too." Alex said gesturing over to her daughter.

"They told me you'd gone with DCI Gerrard and that you weren't ever coming back…You never even said goodbye." Gene said sadly.

"Gene I woke up in 2008 I heard you calling in that tunnel after I got away from Layton but it was too late…I had to go back." Alex explained wishing that Gene would come closer and take her in his arms.

"You've been in a car accident they said… What happened?" Gene asked looking increasingly confused.

"Does it matter?" Alex asked not feeling ready to explain how she had come to be back in this world.

Gene shrugged looking awkward and unsure of his next move. Then Molly stirred in her bed and called out in a shaky voice…

"Mummy?"

"I'm here Mol's" Alex said raising herself up slightly off the bed so that Molly would be able to see her.

"What happened?... I can't remember." Molly asked looking puzzled.

"Nothing to worry about…We'll talk about it tomorrow…O.K? You just rest now sweetheart" Alex said soothingly blowing her a kiss.

Molly nodded and smiled at her and Gene and quickly fell back to sleep.

"She's alright isn't she?" Gene asked concerned as he went over to Molly and stroked her hair tenderly.

"Yes just concussion the doctor said…Gene come and sit down a second…Please." Alex said wanting to be close to him.

He walked slowly over to her bed and sat tentatively on the edge.

"Gene I'm so sorry I hurt you…I love you so much…I came back for you…And there's something else..." Alex said searching for a way to explain about the baby.

"Go on" Gene said as Alex struggled to find the right words to continue.

"This is going to sound crazy…but…" Alex snorted realising the ridiculousness of what she had just said as Gene rolled his eyes but she collected herself and continued... "While I was back in the future I had a dream…A sort of vision really I suppose…I saw Sam Tyler and he told me I could find a way back to you…That I could have everything I wanted if I believed it…And I saw a picture of us…Me, You, Molly and…I'm pregnant Gene a couple of months the doctor said." Alex looked over at Gene whose face was a mask of concentration as his brain processed her latest mind bending offering, suddenly his eyes grew wide and his mouth fell open in shock…

"Come again" He said not allowing himself to comprehend what she had said.

"I said I'm pregnant…Up the duff! In the pudding club!" She said smiling.

"I'm going to be a daddy?" Gene said his face still a picture of shock.

Alex was about to answer when Gene took her in his arms in a tight embrace kissing her face and hair and pulling back slightly so that he could capture her lips in a slow desperate passionate kiss then he held her tightly to him she could swear he was shaking with emotion, indeed he had to sniff back tears as he spoke.

"I thought I'd lost you forever Alex, I don't know how I made it through after you left…Just shutdown I suppose…Couldn't let myself think about you…Told everyone not to mention your name ever again…Then today I got a call saying you'd been in a car accident…I still can't take it all in…All that stuff about the future… And now here you are with your daughter and you're having my baby…I think I need a drink!" Gene finished and looked into her eyes still looking dazed and confused and utterly gorgeous Alex thought.

"There'll be no more of that Mr Hunt! Only tea, coffee and maybe a sherry at Christmas for you from now on." Alex said with mock indignation.

"Sod that for a game of soldiers! When I'm married to you I'll need all the bloody help I can get!" Gene said ending with a defiant pout.

"Married? Jumping the gun a bit aren't we?" Alex said remembering how she had turned down Gene's proposal before.

"I don't know about jumping the gun…Bloody shotgun more like! We'll have to get a move on an all or else you'll never find a frock to fit you and I'll look like I'm taking Demis bloody Rousoss down the aisle!" He said mischievously.

"I might consider marrying you if you ask me properly…I'm sorry I turned you down last time but I hope you at least understand why I had to now…And anyway you didn't actually say the word marriage then did you? And you've never told me that you love me...I mean I know you do and I don't expect you to be saying it all the time but now…Here for me I'd like you to…Please Gene." Alex looked at him expectantly.

"I'll just go the whole bloody hog and get down on one knee shall I?" Gene said puffing indignantly. "I said before I'm no good with all that soppy stuff and if you do take me on…Well that's how I am I can't go changing not even for you…." He shifted about uncomfortably as if his next words were about to cause him physical pain. "I do love you Alex…More than I've ever loved anyone or anything…And if you agree to marry me I'll do my best not to ever give you cause to regret it." He finished and looked deep into her eyes.

"Where's the ring?" Alex teased with a grin as she continued not wishing to leave Gene hanging for long "Yes I'll marry you Gene Hunt… I bloody love you too and although I know there will be times when we drive each other around the twist I honestly wouldn't want it any other way." She leaned in to meet his kiss; it was a soft lingering kiss full of love and longing.

"Bloody Hell Bol's I'll be getting in that bed with you if you keep that up." Gene said as Alex's hands wandered.

"Not in front of Molly!" Alex said in mock alarm. "How do you feel about being a dad to Molly? She's a great kid Gene and I think she will really respond to a strong father figure." She asked worried that Gene didn't appreciate how things would be now she had returned with her daughter.

"I'll do me best Bolly…I didn't exactly have the greatest role model in my own father and if I'm honest I did think my chance at being a dad had passed…But here we are and it's good…Blimey if I can keep Ray and Chris on the straight and narrow, two kids should be a piece of piss after that!" He said smiling.

Alex moved in to kiss him again and he responded with enthusiasm.

"Shit! I'll have to get the ring back." Gene said suddenly recalling he was no longer in possession of it.

"Did you get rid of it?" Alex asked concerned as she had really loved that ring.

"No I left it at Luigi's after…Well when you said no before…Then I asked him to keep hold of it because I couldn't face looking at it again after you left." Gene explained.

Alex was nuzzling Gene's neck when she recalled about his promotion and how he had introduced himself as still being a DCI to the doctor.

"Shouldn't you be Detective Superintendent Hunt by now?" Alex inquired.

"Oh yeah…That!" Gene said awkwardly. Alex raised her eyebrows waiting for his explanation.

"Like I said after you left I had a bad time…" He stopped and looked ashamed of himself as he puffed out a breath and continued.

"There was an incident!...And the Chief Super thought it best if my promotion was put on hold for the time being since no official announcement had been made…" Gene was reluctant to elaborate any further.

"Incident? What incident?" Alex asked determined not to let him off the hook.

Gene shifted about uncomfortably "I put Arthur Layton in a coma...He's alright now and back in the scrubs…But it was touch and go for a while…Course that wasn't the official version of events, but the Super's no fool and I didn't care about the promotion enough to fight for it then."

"Oh Gene!" Alex said not knowing quite what to feel about what he had just told her.

"I'm still alright for buying us a house and everything though, like I said I've invested wisely thanks to Sammy boy." Gene said hopefully.

"And I'll carry on working of course." Alex said making her intentions on that subject clear.

"What after the babies born?" Gene said shocked.

"Well I'm not staying at home cooking and cleaning and darning your socks!" Alex said exasperated.

"I'm not having Gene Junior palmed off on baby sitters! Him an' Molly will need their mother" Gene said angrily.

"Gene Junior?" Alex questioned.

"Well Eugene then…Why what's up with it?" Gene said narrowing his eyes at her.

"Nothing I suppose…For better or for worse…Mm?" Alex said sighing not wanting to spoil the moment with pointless arguments, she snuggled close to his chest once more remembering Sam's words in her dream "No one knows how long they've got" However long she had she was determined to make the most of every second with Gene.

*****************************************************

A month later and a hasty registry office wedding had been arranged, Alex had just made it back to 1983 in time for Chris and Shaz's nuptials which occurred a week after her return, she had asked Gene to sit on their own happy news until after then as she didn't want to overshadow their big day; it was difficult for him though as he felt like shouting it from the rooftops. Alex had tried her best to explain everything to Molly who it appeared was swiftly becoming assimilated into early eighties living, she seemed to remember very little of what life had been like before their 'accident' and was happily accepting of her new situation. She and Gene seemed to hit it off in a way that was beyond even Alex's hopes and as she watched the two of them playing cards and laughing she thought her heart would burst with love for them both and she gently patted her stomach in wonderment at the life growing within, her happiness was almost complete.

Getting ready for the registry office with Molly Alex wanted to make sure her daughter was happy, the memory of how they had come to be in this world together still haunted her and although in her heart she knew that this was where they were meant to be there was still a feeling of guilt that gnawed away at her.

"Mol's You're O.K with all this aren't you?…I mean it's all happening so fast…Me marrying Gene and the baby…You know how much I love you don't you? It was just the two of us for so long." She pulled Molly into her embrace kissing the top of her head as she held her tightly.

"I think its fab! Gene's so funny and nice and I can't wait to have a baby brother or sister." Molly said grinning as she pulled out of her mothers arms and reached for a tissue to wipe her tears away. "You'll smudge your make up mummy and you look so pretty today." She said dabbing her mums face as they both looked into the mirror smiling back at each other.

It was a simple ceremony but it got the job done, Alex looked radiant wearing a patterned cream dress with a long matching jacket finished off with a cream feathered fascinator, Gene looked handsome in a dark blue three piece suit with a pale blue shirt and blue striped tie and all their nearest and dearest were there to give the happy couple their best wishes. Alex could swear that even Ray had a tear in his eye as she and Gene said their "I do's" although when he had to blow his nose he swore it was just a cold. Luigi had excelled himself with the reception spread he was so pleased that Alex and Gene had finally made it official that it was his present to them, and Alex had been so touched she hugged him tightly and kissed him on the cheek.

"Oi! That's enough of that Mrs Hunt!" Gene said swooping in to take her in his arms.

Luigi had been playing a tape of romantic songs and Gene moved to dance with his wife as 'At last' by Etta James began to play.

"I thought the Gene Genie didn't dance." Alex said as she put her arms around him to sway to the music.

"There are a lot of things the Gene Genie didn't do before you came along." He replied giving her a teasing grin.

She laughed and snuggled closer to him "I finally feel like I'm home...And I want it to last forever" She said holding him close.

"It will my love…It will." Gene said kissing her softly as the song played on.

_At last, my love has come along  
My lonely days are over  
And life is like a song  
Oh, yeah, at last  
The skies above are blue  
My heart was wrapped up in clovers  
The night I looked at you  
I found a dream that I could speak to  
A dream that I can call my own  
I found a thrill to rest my cheek to  
A thrill that I have never known  
Oh, yeah when you smile, you smile  
Oh, and then the spell was cast  
And here we are in heaven  
For you are mine  
At last_

_Lyrics by Mack Gordon & Harry Warren._


	12. Chapter 12

Epilogue

Again unbeta'd so I apologise for any mistakes.

Thanks to all who have kept reading this and left such lovely comments either here or on The Railway Arms xxx

I might have another go at fanfic at some point…I'm a bit busy with the kids off on summer holiday's at the moment!

Again a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who has taken the time to read this…Hope you all enjoy this last chapter. *HUGS*

*************************************************

Eugene Evan Hunt was born on the last day of September 1983, he weighed in at a respectable eight pounds and two ounces and although Gene had been reluctant to attend his son's birth, recalling with horror the delivery of the gypsy girl Alva's baby, he had relented in the end. It was the first and only time that Alex would ever see Gene cry, as she screamed her way through the last contraction that brought their son into the world, slumping back on the bed to recover, she had turned to look at Gene as he was hastily wiping away a stray tear that had begun to drip down his face.

"Bloody Hell!" He said as he saw her looking at him, ashamed at his show of emotion but that didn't stop another tear working its way loose as his son was placed into his arms, splashing down unchecked onto the baby's head.

Gene hadn't been keen on the choice of Evan as a middle name for their son but Alex felt it was the least she could do in recognition of the man who had been there for her for all those years. It was the thought of Evan left alone in the future that was the only source of sadness in her life now; Alex had carefully avoided any further contact with the younger version of Evan in this world since he had taken over guardianship of her orphaned self. However after Gene Juniors birth she felt an increasing need to see him, she knew it was a selfish inclination that would only serve to ease her own troubled conscience, but she felt a need to tell Evan that she was alright and happier than she could ever have imagined that she would be. She wasn't sure what difference if any it would make as she had never actually found out what this world was, but it was hers and Molly's home now, there would never be a return to 2008 and but for the hurt it must have caused Evan she really didn't care. Alex decided to take the baby for a walk in his pram near to where she knew Evan would be working at that time so she could 'accidentally' bump into him as he left the office. However as she observed him leaving the building from a distance her nerve deserted her and she decided to beat a hasty retreat before he saw, but as she hurried along she failed to notice that Gene Juniors cuddly lion had fallen from the pram…Suddenly she was addressed by a familiar voice…

"Excuse me I think this belongs to you." Evan said rushing up behind Alex as she hastily pushed the pram along, holding the toy lion aloft as he did so.

He gasped in shocked recognition as Alex turned round to face him; she in turn expressed mock surprise at seeing him there.

"Evan!" She gasped looking increasingly flushed and flustered.

"Alex! What a surprise…You're looking well." He stopped and peered into the pram to see Gene Junior happily slumbering under a thick blue blanket. "No need to ask who the father is!" He said raising his eyebrows and handing Alex the toy lion.

"Err no I suppose not." She said blushing.

"So you're married now…?" He asked awkwardly.

"Yes…Nine months next week…Who'd have ever thought it?... Me?...Happily married to Gene Hunt!" Alex said smiling, totally oblivious to Evan's discomfort on the matter.

"Oh I don't know…I always thought the two of you would end up getting together eventually." Evan said with a hint of bitterness.

"Really?" Alex asked with surprise.

"Well you certainly never had eyes for anyone else!" He said pointedly.

It was in that moment that Alex realised the futility of her intended scheme, there was no way to make up for the future hurt now or indeed to undo the damage that had already, albeit unwittingly inflicted. She made a few polite inquires about her younger self and wished Evan well as she made her escape, knowing that in all likelihood their paths would never cross again…Not if either of them could help it at any rate!

***************************************************

Gene had worked hard to earn the respect of his peers at the station, the contentment and stability that his new family situation had provided him with had gone along way to smooth out some of his rougher edges, and although no one would ever say that the Manc lion had been completely tamed he was certainly a more civilised beast these days. He had gained his promotion to Detective Superintendent with a mere six month delay and had settled into the position with more ease than he had initially expected. Alex had decided that she would take an extended break from work after all because thanks to Gene's investments and increased wage they were quite comfortably off. She found that rather than feeling trapped by domesticity she actually enjoyed having the luxury of spending more time with Molly and caring for her new born son, and while she couldn't imagine not wanting to return to work eventually for now she was more than content. Alex was also pleasantly surprised by her married life with Gene, it wasn't always a bed of roses and they could still bicker for England at times but that was part of what made it so perfect. He had turned out to be a wonderful father, adopting Molly as his own and Gene Junior was the apple of his eye, although Alex did worry that her son would grow up to be quite a handful as he was his fathers double in every respect, excepting the brown hair he had inherited from her, the rest including his fiery temperament was all Gene.

They had settled into a lovely three storied Victorian house with a room each for the children and two more for spare, it had needed work but as it was slowly coming together they all found there was no where else they would rather call home. There was a small garden at the front and a decent sized one at the back and Alex found she rather enjoyed tending them, it was so satisfying to see the things she had planted growing and bursting to life. She and Gene had spent many an evening sat out on the garden bench, surrounded by the blossoming trees and flowers just happily chatting and sharing kisses.

Alex had long since abandoned her study into what this world she was now in actually was, it was just her reality now and she was getting on with living it. Of course the nagging questions did sometimes creep into her mind unbidden in those solitary moments between being awake and falling asleep and she did sometimes worry at peak moments of happiness that it could all suddenly disappear, but she acknowledged those anxieties were no different from what most people carry around with them on a daily basis. We all fear that one day all good things will come to an end. There was no longer any contact from the future world she and Molly had left behind and it seemed, especially for Molly that the longer they were in this world the less they remembered about the other and that prospect no longer filled her with the terror it once had. Although there had been the matter of Arthur Layton to contend with, her last contact with him in this world had been as his captive. He was safely behind bars when she returned thanks to Gene, but it was also down to Gene's rough handling of him during his arrest that put the matter of his conviction into question. Alex was eight months pregnant by the time the trial came around and she was dreading having to face Layton again, in the future he had succeeded in doing to her and Molly what he had done to her parents and the very thought of it made her sick with revulsion. However when she did finally come face to face with Layton again her reaction was not at all what she expected it to be…As she sat waiting for him to be brought into the courtroom, all the time stroking her swollen belly for comfort and feeling the life within her kicking merrily away, she suddenly had an epiphany…If Layton had never come into her life she wouldn't be preparing to give birth to the son of the man she loved and adored and she wouldn't be happier than she had ever been before…Of course there were lots of painfully scarring things that wouldn't have happened either, but as their eyes met across the court Alex found she was the one flashing the smug smile. Arthur Layton was duly found guilty on all charges and sent to prison with a recommendation that he should serve at least twenty five years which would mean he would be released back into society in 2008, the irony of which was not lost on Alex.

***************************************************

It was the beginning of May 1984; Gene Junior was just seven months old and Alex and Gene had not long celebrated their first wedding anniversary. Gene had arranged for them to have a family portrait taken as he wanted one for the wall of his office, as soon as he told Alex she recalled the portrait Sam Tyler had once shown her in a dream. Now here they were exactly as it had been prophesised a happy family of four, soon to be five as Alex had discovered the very morning they were due to set out for the photographers studio. She kept silent on the matter wondering when the perfect opportunity would present itself for her to inform the rest of the family that a new member would soon be joining them. Alex had grown her hair longer again and as she didn't have to worry about the bullet wound scar on her forehead anymore she was free to style it anyway she wanted, in fact she had never felt more at ease with her appearance with Gene constantly telling her how beautiful she was as he did while they were arranging themselves for the photograph.

"I don't know what it is but you look bloody gorgeous today." He said in a low voice giving her a look that signalled his intentions to do something about it as soon as was possible!

"Well spring is in the air…I'm just full of the joys of the season I suppose!...Well that and the fact that I'm pregnant!" She said grinning as Gene went into shock.

"Bloody Hell Bolly! Another one in the back of the net for the Gene Genie!" He said recovering and beaming with pride.

Molly also overheard and expressed her joy as she had loved having a baby brother to help take care of, and she found instead of resenting losing her status as an only child she had never been happier than as part of a growing and loving family.

They were all beaming with happiness as the camera clicked except for Gene Junior who had perfected his father's sulky pout, but it was just as Alex remembered and she wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

Then something in Gene's mind clicked "Buggering Hell Bols!"

"What's the matter?" She asked alarmed at his outburst.

"You could have told me about the baby before we got here…It's costing a ruddy fortune for this portrait and we'll have to do it all again when Bolly Nappy pops out!" He blustered.

"Bolly Nappy?" Alex asked half amused and half bemused.

"I was just thinking another daughter would be nice." Gene replied with a smile.

"Mmmm…Don't think we'll be calling her Bolly Nappy though!" Alex said laughing.

THE END


End file.
